Vulnerable
by SquintandProud-x
Summary: She was vulnerable to his good looks and mysterious personality. He was vunerable to her amazing scent and beautiful face. Buffy/Angel Fanfic. Basically, my Buffy version of Twilight. : PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Returning Home

Maybe you're not even human 'cause  
Only an angel could be so unusual,  
Sweet surprise, I could get used to  
Unusual You.

Unusual You, Britney Spears.

I was a normal girl and sometimes I wished that I could be unique. I had imagined thousands of times of being the 'Chosen One' and having a completely unusual lifestyle. It sounded odd, even to me, but I couldn't help but wish that my life was different than your typical average girls. Maybe it would be different in Sunnydale …

My parents got divorced when I was young and I continued to live in Los Angeles whilst my Mother moved away to Sunnydale. It had been difficult growing up without the mother/daughter bonding and crying over romantic films whilst a bowl of popcorn lay between you, but I had learnt to see past it. My Father had taken care of me and treated me well, what more could I ask for? Except I knew that he wouldn't always be there when I needed him which was why the devastation of his death was slightly weaker than it should have been. My Father had always made me promise to return to my Mother if anything happened to him; being a policeman was a risky job and he couldn't always assure me that he would return home.

I stepped out of the taxi cab and thanked the driver, passing him a few dollars as he retrieved my suitcases from the boot of the car. The driver flashed me a smile before getting into his cab and disappearing around the corner. I took a deep breath and wondered of a time when I had been so nervous. I had not seen my Mother for almost six years, since she had left when I was ten years old, and, even though she was my mother, I was scared to walk up the path to her front door.

I studied the house. It had a brown door which went well with the crème house itself; the curtains upstairs were brown and the curtains downstairs were both white, vases stood in each window with bright flowers in them and there was a chair swing in the front porch of the house. I had been so busy examining the house that I hadn't noticed my Mother rush out to welcome me.

'Buffy!' my Mother greeted me.

She enveloped me into a hug, smoothing down my long blonde hair. I hugged her back, all the traces of awkwardness disappearing, and smiled softly into her shoulders. It had been a long time since I had smelt the scent of her hair or been enclosed in her warm hugs. It was odd … I began to wonder how I had ever lived without her for so long.

'Look how beautiful you are! Not that you weren't ever beautiful, I just meant –'

'I know, Mom,' I laughed.

She looked down at my suitcases and rolled her eyes as she grabbed the closest two. I chuckled at her expression and grabbed the other four before following her up the garden path towards the house. I immediately dropped the four suitcases when my Mom shut the door and sighed in exhaustion. I looked around the hallway; the sitting room was on my left and the dining room was on my right. There was stairs as soon as you entered through the front door and down the hall was another door, which I guessed led to the kitchen.

'Are you hungry?' Mom questioned, smiling at me lovingly.

'I'm good, thanks,' I said.

'Are you sure? I can make you anything you want!' Mom said quickly.

I laughed and shook my head. Mothers never let anything go and always questioned you if you were positive, where as Fathers just accept your first answer and don't push. I notice my Mother nod and pick up the two suitcases she carried in.

'Shall I show you your room?' she asked.

I nodded and grabbed two out of the four suitcases, following her up the stairs. I walked down the crème hallway and stopped in front of a faint purple coloured door which my Mother had vanished through. I stepped inside and dropped the suitcases, staring around in amazement.

The room was a faint purple colour, my favourite colour, and was decorated in photographs and posters. There were photographs of me and my parents, before they split up, and posters of some hot celebrities that I fancied. I was amazed at how well my Mother knew me, even though she hadn't seen me for almost six years! A double bed lay in the centre of the room, a bedside cabinet stood besides it and a huge wardrobe was pushed against the wall, a large mirror propped up against it. The curtains were a dark purple colour and glass ordainments were lined up on the window.

'Wow!' I whispered, looking around in awe.

Mother looked nervous as she sat on my bed, watching me for a reaction. I heard her sigh in relief after my comment and I smiled.

'Thank you,' I said, taking a seat besides her.

Mom smiled at me in relief. 'Rupert helped me.'

Rupert Giles was my Mother's boyfriend, as my Father had told me at least. He was a few years older than Mom and worked as a librarian in a library in town. Mom met him during her first few months living down here and he automatically helped her adapt to life in Sunnydale. I had heard that he was quite the genius; maybe he could help me on school work …

OH NO! SCHOOL!

'Mom, what am I going to do for school?' I asked, keeping my fingers crossed for home schooling.

'Sunnydale High has accepted you,' smiled Mom, patting me on the shoulder. 'Tomorrow is your first day!'

I forced myself not to scream and jump out of the window. After all, Mother had only just decorated.

_A/N: PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE REVIEW. The next chapter shall be MUCH longer and I promise that we meet my version of the Cullen family – or, in my fic, they are called the O'Conner family! Starring our beloved Angel! Guesses on which other Buffy universe characters are in his 'family' ? Love. x_


	2. Welcome to Sunnydale High!

**AUTHORS NOTE****: WOW WOW WOW! SIX reviews on one chapter, it is so dumb to be excited but I was worried that no one would like it. Thank you so much!**

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I awoke the next morning with a sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had been with the same group of friends since junior school and I had been very close to them throughout my last few years of High school. Now I was going to a new school where everyone had known each other for a few years already, everyone would know each other but I wouldn't. I pushed these thoughts from my mind as I got up and took a quick shower, washing my fears down the drain.

I returned to my room. I dried my hair in record time and watched as my hair became its wavy self. I loved my hair as it was easy to control; it automatically felt into wavy curls down my back after it had been dried. I opened my wardrobe, where all my clothes hung now, and searched through its contents. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a white tank top, deciding to go casual and not draw too much attention to myself, before pulling them on and discarding my pyjamas. I walked towards my door, picking up a black hooded jumper off my bed then walked out, shutting the door behind me.

I stumbled down the stairs and jumped off the last step. I wandered down the hallway towards the kitchen, pulling my jumper over my head, and wondering if Mom would be awake at this time. I pushed open the kitchen door and shuffled inside. A huge scent of bacon and sausages drifted up my nostrils and suddenly the sickly feeling returned to my stomach. I took a seat at the kitchen table where Mom and Giles were sat drinking their coffees.

'Morning honey,' Mom smiled, patting the seat besides her.

I took the seat and smiled, taking the cup of coffee that Giles passed me. 'Sleep well?' he asked.

I had actually slept rather well in my new double bed. I had been finding sleeping difficult since my Father's death, I was too scared to close my eyes in case any other of my loved ones left before I could say goodbye. I had been going through a period at school and teachers advised me to see the school counsellor. After a few sessions with my counsellor, who was an old woman in her fifties, she rang up my Mother and informed her of my status.

'Very well, thanks,' I said.

I took a sip of coffee and sighed in relief as the warm liquid travelled down my throat, warming up my insides. Giles and Mom watched me, sipping their own coffees.

'Are you hungry?' questioned Mom, gesturing towards the plate of toast.

'I'm good thanks, erm, I kind of feel sick,' I mumbled, putting my cup down.

Mom cast me a sympathetic look as she rubbed my back. I suddenly felt like I was a baby trying to be burped.

'Everything will be fine, sweetie, Sunnydale High is full of lovely people!' reassured Mom, dropping her hand from my back. 'There is no need to worry!'

I nodded slowly, although the nerves continued to eat away at my insides.

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I gazed at the map in my hands, wondering which way up it went, and tried to my best to ignore the eyes staring at me. I took a deep breath and shoved the map into my pocket, forcing myself not to loose my temper with a piece of paper in front of everyone. I began to walk through the corridors, not exactly knowing where I was going or what time it was. Slowly people began to disappear off into classrooms on each side of the corridors' and I found myself the only one who was still wandering around like a headless chicken. I sighed in frustration and pulled the screwed up map back out of my pocket, smoothing it out as my eyes scanned it.

'Hey, you're the new girl, aren't you?'

I spun around to see a couple stood behind me. A pale red-haired girl with blue eyes smiled at me, flashing her straight white teeth, and stepped towards me out of the boys grasp. He was a tall boy with light red hair as well, although his eyes were brown. The two seemed a perfect match for each other as I studied them.

'Yep, that's me,' I replied.

'I'm Willow,' said the redhead, stretching out her hand.

I shook her hand and returned the smile, thanking god for someone polite finding me. The redhead took back her hand and turned to the boy stood a few steps away from us.

'And this is my boyfriend, Oz!' added Willow.

Oz stepped forward and shook my hand, casting me a warm smile. He stepped back and slung his arm around Willow's shoulders, who was looking at the map in my hand.

'Those maps are useless,' said Willow, rolling her eyes. 'There not updated and a lot of the rooms have been changed.'

I looked back down at the map and screwed it up once again, shoving it into my jeans pocket. Oz laughed and Willow gave me an approving nod.

'Whose class should you be in for registration?' asked Oz.

'Erm, Mr Murphy's,' I said, taking out another piece of paper from my pocket.

Willow told me that she and Oz were in his registration as well before letting go of Oz and gesturing for me to follow her. I and Oz followed behind her as she walked through many corridors and up to flights of stairs. Finally, what seemed like hours later, we stopped in front of a door and Willow pushed it open. Oz waited for her to go in before turning to me.

'Mr Murphy is a tad weird, watch out!' he chuckled.

I gulped and nodded, following him into the classroom.

Everyone immediately fell quiet as I entered; I felt their eyes follow me as I walked over to the teacher at the front of the class. The man was rather short and had a large blonde moustache, he wore thick rounded glasses which hid dark brown eyes, his head was topped with blonde hair and he was rather rounded. He greeted Willow and Oz, who took seats at the front of the classroom, before turning to me.

'Miss Summers, pleasure to meet you!' exclaimed Mr Murphy, waddling towards me.

'Erm, thank you,' I said, slightly scared by his enthusiasm.

He took my hand and shook it roughly, the welcoming smile never leaving his face. When he finally let go of my hand, I stumbled back slightly and dropped my head to the floor.

'Where are you from?' he asked.

'LA,' I answered, smiling at my old home fell from my lips.

Mr Murphy nodded eagerly before asking me to pick a seat anywhere I pleased. I thanked him before shuffling for an open seat behind Willow, who smiled at me politely, and ran my hand through my blonde waves. I took a seat at the table and began twiddling my thumbs, looking around the classroom. I knew that being the new girl was like being a sponge – I had to soak everything in.

'Hey, I'm Xander!'

I spun around to be greeted by a dark haired boy with brown eyes and nicely tanned skin. He seemed like your average guy; good shape and quirky smile. He was slouched in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, holding the other one out for me to shake.

'Buffy,' I said, shaking his outstretched hand.

'Nice to meet you!' Xander smiled.

'You too,' I replied, returning his smile.

So far the day hadn't gone as horribly as I planned. I had met three new people who seemed polite and nice enough, maybe this school wasn't going to be as bad as I thought previously.

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I sat down at a table, dropping my lunch tray in front of me, and was joined by my new friends. Willow, Oz, Xander and Anya. Anya was Xander's girl; she had blonde curls which bounced on her shoulders, emerald eyes and a sun kissed glow. I found Anya rather amusing as she spoke what was on her mind and talked a lot about sex which made everyone uncomfortable.

'So, how do you like Sunnydale High so far?' asked Xander, taking a bite out of his apple.

'Better than I thought,' I said, taking a sip of my soda and shrugging my shoulders. 'I guess that is why they say don't jump to conclusions.'

Anya laughed and said, 'I get that!'

Willow rolled her eyes and I laughed. Oz and Xander threw each other a look before turning back to their lunches, eating in the fashion that men do – like pigs, basically.

Suddenly the cafeteria door swung open and everyone spun around in their seats as five people walked in.


	3. The O'Conner Family

**AUTHORS NOTE:**** Thank you so much for the reviews. I can not express the happiness I get every morning when I check my mail and have reviews. It's amazing how fantastic you readers are.**

**In this chapter we will find out who my version of the Cullen family are. However, most of you will not like my pairings of the family – but it is positive that Buffy and Angel shall be the main pairing, so who cares if the others are not good? Also, there will be a few changes to surnames given to characters in the show. Please forgive me for this.**

**Thanks again! X**

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_Suddenly the cafeteria door swung open and everyone spun around in their seats as five people walked in. _

The first two people to enter were a girl and a boy. The girl had long, brown hair and dark brown orbs to match; she had a very thin frame and was the owner of extremely pale skin. She wore a tight brown leather skirt, which ended above her knees, and a thick brown jumper on. Her high heeled boots echoed around the now silent cafeteria, although she didn't seem to notice as she linked the boy next to her. The boy was also very pale, almost like he had been face painted white, and had deep brown orbs like the girl. He was slightly taller than her, but very muscular. He wore tight jeans and a tight white top, which showed off his chest slightly, and had a black jacket thrown over his shoulder. The couple strutted inside, laughing with one another, unaware of the eyes watching their every move.

'Cordelia and Riley,' said Willow, answering my confused expression.

I nodded my head slowly, still not understanding why everyone had stopped eating like they were some kind of celebrity.

'They are like the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt of our school,' laughed Xander.

The next two to walk in was another girl and boy. The boy had bright, spiky blonde hair and piercing blue eyes; he too shared the same paleness as the previous two, and looked as muscular as the boy called Riley. He wore black combats and a black, tight top, he had no jacket or jumper – which surprised Buffy as the weather was tremendously cold today. The girl shared the same hair and eye combination as the first girl. Her hair was slightly shorter than Cordelia's, ending just below her shoulders, and looked wilder as well. Her eyes had a depth into them, like Cordelia's hadn't, and showed a slight twinkle of playfulness. This girl, like the other three, was also paler than anyone Buffy had ever met. The girl was dressed in tight, black leather pants and a black tank top.

'Do they always dress in the same colour clothes?' I questioned.

'Yes,' replied Oz, taking a bite out of his sandwich. 'They always wear the same type of clothes as well. You know, black and everything.'

'Their called Faith and Spike,' said Xander.

'Second hottest couple of our school,' grunted Anya bitterly, obviously jealous of their couple status.

The two couples sat at the far table, which looked lonely compared to the others table that were virtually side by side, and began talking to each other. I took my eyes off them and looked back at the door. That was when I saw _him. _

A tall boy was the final of the five to walk in. He had pure white skin, just like snow, and hard, mysterious brown eyes that were deep enough to get lost in. His brown hair was spiked up, almost like the blonde guy's – Spike as he was called, although it looked more attractive on him. He had a dangerous and mysterious orb surrounding him; I couldn't help but watch him as he crossed the cafeteria to join the other four. The dark black jeans suited him perfectly and the white t-shirt clung to his masculine chest. I felt my beating forcefully against my chest; my chest was soon to break from the pressure.

'Angel O'Conner,' said Xander, rolling his eyes at my expression.

Angel? What a perfect name for this god-like creature. No other boy would be able to pull that name off, only he was chosen to have that name.

'I find it disturbing how they are with each other when they are related,' said Anya.

'What?' I gasped, tearing my eyes away from this fine beauty.

Willow rolled her eyes and turned to me. 'The O'Conner's are a foster family. Each of them is adopted by Doctor Wesley O'Conner and his wife, Tara O'Conner. They are not blood related, so it isn't wrong or anything!' Willow addressed the last part to Anya, who merely shrugged her shoulders and continued eating.

I nodded and turned my attention back to their table. Cordelia was perched upon Riley's knee, whispering something into his ear which caused Riley to grin. Faith and Spike were leaning into each other, making sure that part of them touched the other. And Angel sat almost lonely as the others took interest in their loves. I almost felt sorry for him as I watched them.

'Buffy, don't drool in your lunch!' laughed Xander.

I automatically pulled myself together and grinned sheepishly. I leant back in my seat and tried to involve myself in the others conversation, occasionally sneaking glances at the O'Conner table. It was only by my two thousandth glance that I realised there was neither food nor drink present upon their table. I shrugged my shoulders and realised they mustn't have been hungry today.

'They don't eat a lot,' said Oz, watching me closely. 'I guess they are on some diet that forbids them to eat unless they have to.'

I laughed and looked back towards their table. I instantly regretted this decision.

A dark pair of eyes clashed with my emerald ones. I noticed that the eyes belong to the boy named Angel, and I suddenly felt embarrassed. I quickly looked down and didn't look back to their table through the rest of lunch.

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**My apologise to anyone who dislikes or disagrees with my choice for the O'Conner family. I was struggling to find a Carlisle or Esme so I picked Wesley and Tara. I hope no one minds with my decision and, if you do, then I strong apologise. Thanks again for the reviews! x **


	4. Questions

**Authors note: Thanks so much for the reviews! I understand that some people wanted Darla as Rosalie but I extremely disliked her, so apologise. Cordelia just struck me as the 'beauty is everything' type. Anyway, I can't believe I am past twenty reviews in three chapters. It is usually like three chapters and two reviews ha-ha. Thanks again! X**

The last class of the day was Physics, which I showed resentment towards, and shuffled along my new friends as they escorted me to my class. I felt slightly abandoned when I had found out that the others were not in my class, although I waved this off and didn't sulk – I hated showing weakness. I nodded my head as I heard Anya speak to me, yet I had no idea what I had just nodded my head to.

Finally they stopped in front of a door and turned to me, frowning slightly at the thought of leaving me. I laughed at their guilt and grinned at them, proving that I was capable enough to last one class by myself. Xander hugged me around the shoulders before linking Anya, who gave me a small smile, and walking down the corridor to their next class. Oz wished me good luck and Willow gave me a short hug, they disappeared as well. I stood looking at the door for a moment, wondering if it was too wrong to skip class on my first day, when I heard footsteps stop behind me.

I spun around quickly, tripped over my own feet and fell into someone's chest. I looked up and was met by a pair of brown eyes staring at me in amusement. I thought they were Angel's so I jumped back up and almost fell backwards, although the boy slipped his arms around my waist and steadied me.

'Wow, you're the one to save,' chuckled the boy, dropping his arms from my waist.

I looked him up and down. He was dressed in a casual grey jumper and baggy blue jeans, a black rucksack strung over his shoulder. He had messy black hair with brown orbs, a thin frame and was much taller than me. His skin had a soft sun kissed glow, unlike the O'Conner family.

'I'm Parker Abrams,' he smiled, holding his hand out.

'Buffy Summers,' I said, shaking his hand.

'You're taking Physics?' Parker asked.

I nodded my head, frowning slightly at the thought of it. He noticed by expression and laughed, pushing the door open for me to walk through. I thanked him before shuffling inside, making sure not to fall over again, and waited for Parker to walk in as well. He smiled at me and led me over to Mr Howell, the Physics teacher.

Mr Howell was rather tall and skinny, his beard was bristly and his brunette hair was, for lack of a better word, floppy. He wore a grey suit and seemed rather dull, although his face split into a wide smile as I walked towards him. Parker stood behind me as Mr Howell took a step forwards towards me, holding out his hand. I hated not knowing how many hands I had shook today.

'Buffy Summers, right?' Mr Howell asked.

I nodded and smiled shyly. I looked towards the class and noticed Parker had sat down at the back of the class, watching me closely. I looked around and my heart came to a sudden stop when my eyes swirled within a pair of dark ones. Angel was sat at a table in the far corner, an empty side besides him – the _only _empty seat in the whole class. I gulped loudly as I turned back to Mr Howell, silently begging him to alter his seating plan.

'Hmm. Well, it seems that you will have to take a seat besides Mr O'Conner,' said Mr Howell.

I turned to look at Angel over my shoulder. His eyes looked darker than before as he squinted through his eyes at me, his fists curled tightly into balls as he watched me. I turned to Mr Howell and nodded, making my way towards Angel.

I couldn't seem to work out why he was giving me this glare of hatred. I surely hadn't done anything to offend him, he didn't even know me! I wondered if he even knew my name, I doubted it. Although, somewhere between his dangerous glare and my sweating palms, I couldn't help but thank god for letting me sit besides this God like boy. Even now, sitting down in my seats besides him, I couldn't help but feel my heart melt knowing he was besides me.

I looked towards him. His brown eyes stared into mine and I quickly looked away, blushing slightly. I flicked my hair from behind my shoulder and used it as a barrier to block him from my vision. However, I could still feel his glare on me.

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He had almost ran out of the door when the bell rang, leaving me feeling slightly uncomfortable. I sighed and rose to my feet, slinging my bag over my shoulder. We had just been copying notes this lesson which gave him a perfect excuse not to speak to me, but his eyes glared at me every few seconds.

'See you tomorrow, Buffy!' called Parker.

'Hmm? Oh, yes, see you!' I smiled, waving.

I dreamily walked out of the classroom and towards the exit of the school, relieved that the day was finally over. It seemed like I had been at this school longer than a day; well, after all, the people here were friendlier than at my last school.

I quickly rushed over to Mother's car when I saw her parked outside the school. I jumped inside and slammed the door shut, dropping my bag between my knees. I let a sigh of relief pass my lips as I realised that I was free to sleep my way through the rest of the day when I arrived home.

'Had a nice day?' asked Mom.

'Hmm,' I replied dozily.

Suddenly, a huge black Land Rover pulled out of the school parking lot and stopped besides us, waiting for the queue of cars to vanish. I looked up and almost gasped. The O'Conner family sat in the large car. Angel was upfront driving with Faith in the passenger seat; Spike, Riley and Cordelia were sat in the back. Angel's eyes suddenly caught mine. Before I knew it, his car had sped down the street away from us.

'The O'Conner family,' mumbled Mom.

I spun around in my seat and stared at her. How did she know the O'Conner family? Her eyes were too busy focusing on the road to notice my glare; I decided to ask her everything she had missed by my eyes.

'How do you know the O'Conner family?' I asked, relaxing slightly.

'Wesley O'Conner is the local doctor; he is brilliant at his job! And Tara O'Conner, his wife, stays at home but I've seen her in the butchers occasionally,' shrugged Mom.

'What do you know about the kids?' I said, trying my best to sound casual.

Mom looked at me from the corner of her eye, although shrugged and answered my question. 'Not much really. The family is very private, Buffy, they aren't social.'

I nodded and looked out of the window, watching the houses pass me by in a blur.

There were so many questions that I wanted an answer to. But, the real question was, how many answers would I receive? And, who would answer my questions?


	5. Answers

**Authors Note: I am speechless with the amount of reviews I get. You are all truly amazing and I honour your reviews. Thank you so much. X**

**QUESTION: Do you want the O'Conners to have powers like they did in Twilight? Let me know in your review! x**

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I had questioned Giles on the O'Conner family, much to his amusement, yet he was only able to provide the same amount of information as Mother. I gave him a weary smile and asked him about his day, forcing myself to listen as he rambled on. I spent the rest of the day in my room, thinking about the O'Conner family and the stare I had received from the dreamiest boy in the family. I found it odd how much I was reaching into it and I worried that I was becoming slightly obsessed, although I completely forgot about the family when I was called for dinner.

After dinner, I took a shower and sat on my bed, gazing at the television yet not really watching it. I began to plan out my next day at school; I would ask my new friends about the O'Conner's in detail then question Angel on the death glare he had sent me.

After receiving a headache for all my thinking, I turned off my television and lay down. I pulled the covers over my cold frame and snuggled my face into my pillow, letting sleep wash over me.

That night was the first time I dreamt of Angel O'Conner.

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I could faintly remember my dream, though I remembered his touch like it had been realistic. I sat up in my bed and ran my fingers through my blonde hair, cursing the boy who had took over my mind. I let out a frustrated sigh before pushing the covers back and standing up, shuffling over to my wardrobe.

I picked out some casual clothes and pulled them, ran a brush threw my hair and went down to breakfast. Mother and Giles were there like the previous morning, talking over their warm coffees, and greeted me when I took a seat at the table. I was questioned on my sleep and answered with a quick 'I slept well,' not daring to mention my dream. Finally, after Giles had gone to work, Mom stood up and grabbed her keys. I hurried after her, grabbing my bag from besides the door, and jumped into the car before she did.

'Since when are you excited for school?' she laughed.

I knew she was right, since when was I excited for school? I forced myself to not think of Angel O'Conner as my answer and decided to look out of the window for a distraction. I noticed how brightly the sun was shining today and smiled, remembering how warm the weather had been in Los Angeles. I knew Sunnydale had an even amount of rainy days and sunny, but I had my fingers crossed for sunshine.

Mom pulled up outside, kissed me on the cheek and wished me a good day. I smiled and stepped out of the car, hoisting my bag up on my shoulders. I said goodbye to my Mother and shut the door.

I turned to the school and looked at it with a stubborn glare. I was a woman on a mission.

--

I looked around the canteen and frowned when I realised the O'Conner table was empty. I had Physics last once again and I knew that I would be unable to question him about his glare, although I doubted that I would have plucked up the bravery to do so. I turned to Willow and decided to begin asking questions, hoping that I would get some answers.

'So, how come the O'Conner's aren't in?' I asked casually.

Willow cast a glance at their empty table before turning back to me, taking a slurp of her soda.

'The O'Conner's are never in when it is sunny,' she said, putting down her sofa. 'They all go camping or hiking with their foster parents!'

Wow, I wished Mom would take me out during sunny periods. I wondered whether to bring it up later with her, even though I doubted that she would agree.

'What are the O'Conner's like? I said, shoving a piece of a cupcake in my mouth.

I noticed Xander give me a questioning look as he watched me, I guessed that he probably wasn't a fan of the O'Conner's. Though Oz and Anya looked towards Willow, waiting to hear what she knew.

'Mysterious, they hardly ever talk to anyone but each other, deathly white, really smart. Faith is the bubbly one sort of,' said Willow, shrugging her shoulders. 'Spike is like the big brother, Riley is the masculine wonder and Cordelia is in love with herself.'

I nodded my head slowly. Cordelia seemed like the vain type who thought beauty mattered above all else. I could see Spike as the brotherly type, all protective of his family. Faith seemed bubbly, even though I had only seen her once. And Riley did look masculine, but I didn't know how that helped me to sum up his character. But Willow hadn't mentioned Angel; the question had been said before I thought about it.

'And what about Angel?' I asked.

I noticed Xander's curious glance, but I shrugged it off.

'Mysterious, brooding, dark,' named Willow, ticking off the descriptions on her fingers.

Wow. And when he couldn't be anymore hotter, Willow just told me that.

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**BORINGGGGGG! I know! I am so sorry. But please review but if you review lots and lots then guess what? Tomorrow's piece will include Angel talking to Buffy! WOO! So, I need some inspiration from you amazing people! Thanks x**


	6. Ice Touches

**Authors Note: Thanks so much! Wow, I just love going on my inbox and seeing lots of reviews from you! I have decided that they will all still be vampires and have powers like the Cullen's. I apologise to anyone who disagrees. Thanks again x**

It had been almost a week since I had seen any glimpse of the O'Conner family in school and, by this time, I was getting slightly worried that my presence had caused them to leave Sunnydale. So, a week after I had first sat besides Angel in Physics, I was surprised to enter class and see him sat at our desk, staring out of the window at the pouring down rain. I took a deep breath before shuffling over, dropping my bag on the desk loudly and taking a seat besides him. My eyes immediately looked at the door as I didn't want to look at him like most of the others girl did in their dazzled way.

'Buffy!'

I focused my eyes and looked up to see Parker stood in front of me, smiling gently. I felt Angel eyes on the back of my head as I greeted Parker, asking him about his weekend.

'The usual,' he smiled, flashing his straight white teeth. 'You and your friends should come to the beach sometime!'

I widened my eyes slightly and I couldn't help blushing as he waited for my answer. I didn't know whether to agree or not because of Angel, although I remembered that we weren't a couple or anything – in fact, we weren't even speaking besides him talking through his deadly glares.

'Yeah, sure,' I said, smiling sweetly.

Parker's grin widened and he shuffled off like he was in a trance. I laughed at him as he nearly missed his seat, although his partner steadied him before he could fall completely. Parker was a nice guy, he reminded me of Xander in some ways, and I knew that I wouldn't regret my decision going to the beach. I spun back around on my seat and looked towards the front, ignoring Angel completely.

'Hello.'

For a slight moment I thought Parker had returned, though I was sadly mistaken.

I spun around in my seat and was greeted by a pair of brown orbs. His skin seemed paler than before but, in my opinion and fascination, it blended well with the grey clouds in the background. I noticed that he didn't hold his hand out like the others, although I was kind of relieved as I had shaken thousands of hands since I arrived at this over polite school.

'Erm, hi,' I said, cursing myself for sounding weird.

'I'm Angel O'Conner,' he said politely, shifting in his seat slightly. 'I didn't have chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Buffy Summers.'

I was surprised that he knew my name and my heart skipped a beat as he said it in his beautiful voice. It only registered how creepy I must look staring at his lips when he coughed, causing me to jump back and blink a few times.

'How do you know my name?' I demanded.

He laughed gently. His laughter was like music to my ears.

'The whole school knows your name. You are some-what of a celebrity here,' Angel replied, chuckling under his breath.

I knew he had a point. I had shaken so many hands on my first day and I had been welcomed to the school by many people, whose names I still didn't know. It seemed that not many new students attended Sunnydale High; I had heard that I was the first new students in four years. The last new students were the O'Conner's who had arrived a year after everyone else.

'Erm, yeah, I suppose,' I said unsurely.

I looked back towards the front of the class, although I knew his eyes never left me. I turned back towards him and met his gaze. Our eyes had their eyes conversation; we were both trying to reveal the secrets lay deep within. I was useless at reading people, although his gaze had me thinking that he wasn't as awful as me. He leant back in his seat and sighed in defeat, I guess I wasn't easy to read.

We sat in silence for a long time, our heads bent over our necks as we scribbled furiously on the piece of paper. I felt his eyes waver towards me a few times and he could watch me for a while before continuing to write. I also peeked a few times from behind my hair but he didn't seem to notice, and if he did then he didn't show any sign of embarrassing me.

'Why did you come to Sunnydale?' Angel asked.

My eyes widened and I looked up from my paper, keeping my eyes far away from him, biting my bottom lip. I knew that he was watching me. I began to fiddle with my pen, still keeping a firm look towards the front of the class as I processed what I was going to say.

'My Father, erm, passed away,' I whispered, digging my nails into the palm of my hand. 'I came here to live with my Mother and her husband.'

'My condolences,' he said softly.

He reached out and took my hand. A sudden coldness spread throughout my hand and, without thinking, I pulled it away from his icy touch. Angel quickly pulled back his hand and looked down, keeping his eyes far from mine. I wondered how his hand was that cold, however I shrugged it off on the cold weather that was gripping the town. Suddenly, my cell phone began to vibrate in my pocket and I spun around in my seat, facing away from Mr Howell, and pulled it out. I looked at the caller ID and realised it was my Mother.

'Mom, I don't need a ride home,' I whispered, hoping that Mr Howell wouldn't hear me.

'_Why, honey? Is everything alright?' she questioned worriedly._

I rolled my eyes. Mother always expected the worse from me, I knew I was clumsy sometimes but I had a lot of experience in martial arts. However, martial arts moves seemed to go badly when I tried them out – hence the many broken bones I have had.

'Mom, everything is fine! I'm going to Willow's house then I will walk home,' I assured, keeping my fingers cross for approval. 'Don't worry. I need some friends you know!'

'_I know, darling, I know,' she sighed._

'Mr Howell is coming,' hissed Angel.

'I'm going now, Mother, love you!'

I snapped my cell shut, shoved it in my pocket and spun around. However, Mr Howell was only rising from his seat when I picked up my pen again and he showed no sign of noticing me talking on my cell. I cast a confused glance at Angel, who was staring at his paper in a frustrated way, before looking back at my own work.

'Good work, Miss Summers,' praised Mr Howell, looking over at our desk. 'And you, Mr O'Conner.'

'Thanks,' I said.

I looked back towards Angel. Now I had more questions than before.


	7. Stalked

**Authors Note: Thank you so much! The first part of this chapter may seem rushed. I didn't want to dawdle on Buffy staying with Willow. I hope you like this chapter. DRAMA IS ENSURED! Thanks again. X**

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Willow and I spent the night talking about each other over pizza. We lay on her bed and learnt everything we could about each other. It was nice to express myself to someone and share my opinions, my old friends were rather cold and we were hardly as close as I was becoming to Willow. We now knew virtually everything about each other and if we were given a test, which we actually considered at one point, I knew that we would both score top marks. I felt a pang of sadness when I knew it was time to go home, I was having such a fun time! I hadn't had fun in a while; I had been more depressed than anything after my Father's death.

'Thanks for having me,' I smiled at Willow.

'No need to thank me,' replied Willow, shaking her head with a smile. 'I'll see you tomorrow?'

'Yep,' I said, returning her smile.

I spun on my heel and waved to Willow as I descended her garden path.

I tightened my jacket around my frame, shivering as the coldness spread through my body. It was rather dark and I felt slightly paranoid as I walked along the street, occasionally throwing glances behind me. I turned around a corner and vanished off of Willow's street, now walking down a street that looked symmetrical to the previous one.

Strangely, Willow never mentioned the O'Conner's, who had become my topic of fascination, though she asked about Parker. She told me about Parker's huge crush on me and how many guys in her ICT class were obsessed with me; I didn't know whether to laugh or be worried. Parker had told Willow and Oz about the beach trip and my agreement to coming, Willow knew that she couldn't leave me alone with him so changed her plans for me. I was extremely thankful, I didn't expect Willow to be so nice to me – she had no reason to be.

'Hey gorgeous!' shouted someone.

My breath caught in my chest as I spun around. A group of four men were following behind me, their faces masked by their hooded jackets and the darkness of the night. I took a deep breath and continued walking, although my pace was much quicker than before. I felt their heavy footsteps follow behind me but, unlike mine, their paces didn't change and they continued to stroll behind me.

'Slow down!' shouted another one of the boys.

I started walking even quicker. It was then that they began to run. They were too fast and, before I could even prepare myself to start running, they grabbed hold of the back of my jacket. I let out a girlish scream and was surprised that I could make such a sound. I heard the men laugh at my scream; I felt them tighten their grip. I shrugged out of my jacket, leaving it clutched in their hands, and began to run down the street.

I wondered if there was any way to get back to Willow's house from this street, although I really doubted it. I wanted to desperately bang my fists on doors as I heard the deafening crashes of the men's feet on the pavement. I began to run faster, thankful for my Dad's energetic side. I stumbled over my feet and fell down, although I put my hands in front of me and managed to only graze my palms. I jumped back up and sneaked a glance behind me; the men were only a few meters behind me.

I began to run once more and turned round another corner. I was now on a quiet, long road and felt relieved when I saw a car speeding up the road.

'HELP!' I cried.

The car continued to speed past me and vanished into the distance. I heard the men's shouts and footsteps as they spun around the corner. I looked both ways down the road before running across it. As soon as I stepped off the curb, I tripped over my own feet again and landed face first on the road. I groaned and raised my hand to my throbbing head. I pulled back my hand and cringed at the crimson liquid that covered my hand; blood.

'Quick, she's only there!' yelled one of the men.

My eyes fluttered open and closed. I was going to be caught; there was no getting out of this nightmare. I began to wonder what they would do to me or would they spare me when they saw the sight of me? I shivered in the cold as the footsteps fell closer. I wished that I had told my Mother I loved her, or tried harder at school. They were so man words I had left unspoken. Though I was suddenly scooped up off the floor and, for a hint of a second, I thought the men had got me.

The new pair of footsteps was quicker and we moved in a blur. I felt sickly as I looked down and realised someone was running extremely fast for my liking. Finally my saviour came to a halt at the opposite side of the road and placed me on my feet. I swayed slightly until I crumpled against their chest, unable to stand or even think due to the torturing pain in my head. My saviour dropped his hand around my waist and steadied me. The coldness from their touch speeded through the thin material of my t-shirt and around my weak body.

I heard the men shout across the road, bellowing rude words at the person who I now considered to be named a hero. A growl, almost dog like, issued from my hero's lips; however my head hurt too much to question it now.

My head slumped against their shoulder before I was consumed by darkness.


	8. Dreams

**Authors Note: Thanks so much everyone! Your reviews are always so sweet and I love reading them. I am sorry if I get carried away and write the storyline like Twilight. I am trying not to and thinking of new ideas as I type. I have a huge idea already and this chapter is the start of it – it is very important chapter even if it doesn't seem it. Thanks again! You are all legends! X**

I cocked my head to the side.

Where was I?

I was hidden deep within a forest, the exact forest that was twenty minutes away my house. I looked down and noticed that I was wearing pink wellington boots with black tracksuit bottoms and a white tank top. Had I come out here to hike? I shrugged my shoulders and began to walk through the forest. Pushing my way through stray branches, I took in the beauty of nature around me. I had already past a few rabbit holes and spotted a woodpecker in a tree in the distance. I breathed in the fresh air and smiled.

I saw a clearing a few meters ahead and strutted towards that direction, not having the faintest idea what I would find. After stumbling over a few times, resulting bloody hands, I finally burst out of the forest and found myself staring at a, for lack of a better word, mansion.

The house was huge. It wasn't made out of brick, like the houses on my street, but out of glass and smooth oak wood. I guessed that some of the walls were made out of glass and just looked like larger windows. I walked towards the house, staring at it in fascination, and soon found myself at the huge old, wooden door.

Without knocking, I threw open the door and tip-toed inside. I didn't know what had possessed me to just waltz inside someone's home, though I blamed the excitement and curiosity pumping through my veins at this moment in time. I walked into the wide living room which was filled with four leather sofas and a massive plasma television. The walls were decorated in a soft crème colour and the floor was wooden like the door, although shinier.

'Wow,' I whispered.

Suddenly I heard voices coming from the next room and my attention immediately turned to the white door. I headed towards the door, cursing every time the floorboards squeaked beneath me. My heart was beating erratically as I pushed open the door and stepped inside the room. I quickly closed the door behind me before turning to observe this new room.

Another crème room, although this one had a long glass table in the centre. I was almost startled when I noticed the seven people sat around the table, each of their backs turned towards me. They continued talking and didn't even notice my presence. I shuffled closer to the table, hoping to hear the conversation that was keeping them distracted.

As I stepped closer, I noticed the black jacket that was thrown over the back of one of the chairs. It was the one that Riley O'Conner had strung over his shoulder on the first day of school. I then noticed a thick brown jumper that I had seen Cordelia where. Then the blonde spiky hair caught my attention.

'How can I keep my distance when she is sat right next to me?'

I knew that voice. I would always know who that voice belonged to. Even through the loudest of thunders, I would know the almost musical voice that belonged to Angel O'Conner. He was sat the furthest away from me; his white t-shirt clinging to his masculine chest like I was lucky enough to glimpse on my first day.

'You won't keep your distance from her, Angel,' said Faith, smirking in amusement. 'You and B are going to be rather close indeed!'

Faith was sat on Spike's knee, her hands wrapped around his neck as he watched her lovingly. The two of them seemed like the perfect couple.

Angel threw Faith a glare and muttered, 'The future can change.'

'We know that, Angel, and Faith does especially. Maybe we should all have some time away for a week,' commented the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

The woman, who looked no older than twenty five, sat at the end of the table. Her long blonde-brown hair was straightened down her front and her blue eyes shone brighter than any sunrise I had witnessed. Her skin, like the others, was deadly white. She was clutching another man's hand. The man had dark brown hair, pale skin as well, and also had piercing blue eyes. Glasses perched on the end of his nose, almost like Giles' did, and everyone seemed to gaze towards him.

'Tara is right,' said the man, who I presumed to be Wesley.

'Great!' smiled Cordelia, clapping her hands together. 'I better go and pack!'

Cordelia stood up, wearing the same clothes as I first saw her in, and strutted out of the room without even glancing in my direction. Everyone rolled their eyes and turned to Riley, who was already half way out of his seat. He gave the others a knowing glance and followed Cordelia out of the kitchen.

'So, what is this chick's name?' questioned Spike, leaning forward into Faith.

'Buffy Summers,' replied Angel, rubbing his hands over his face. 'She is almost every guy's obsession at the moment!'

My jaw dropped and I gaped at Angel. Me? He was talking about me to his family? And I knew it! He did leave for almost a week because of me; this explained the sudden frown spreading across my face and the lump rising in my throat.

Spike and Faith smirked at each other.

'She's yours as well,' said Faith, winking.

My heart skipped a beat. How could I, an ordinary looking girl, be his, a beyond handsome boys, obsession? I shook my head, laughing lightly to myself. A snarl from Angel's lips suddenly had me focused on the conversation again.

'You know that I would never put her in that type of danger! How could I live knowing that it was my fault if anything happened to her?' questioned Angel, clenching his fists together. 'She doesn't need to know I'm a vampire.'

My jaw dropped once again, although, unlike last time, a heart-stopping scream erupted from my lips.

--

I was panting furiously as I opened my eyes, sweat breaking out across my forehead.

I looked around and realised I was in a hospital room.

Suddenly, a pair of brown orbs clashed with my emerald ones.


	9. Using The Facts Presented Before You

**Authors note: I feel like I'm slipping with this story, though that might be cause I got sent home from school – ill. Let me know what you think please! Thanks so much everyone!**

'Relax,' whispered Angel.

I slowly slumped against my pillows and stared at him, not realizing Faith stood behind him. His eyes melted into mine; the concern shining in his deep eyes. He suddenly broke his gaze and looked down at the floor, a frown sliding across his handsome face. It was only when he looked away that I felt the pain shoot through my body. I winced as I readjusted myself against my pillows.

'Are you ok?' said Faith, smiling gently at me.

I didn't meet her gaze and nodded.

My dream left me feeling slightly curious around them. I wanted to blurt out what I dreamt, question them on their humanity – no matter how stupid it sounded in my heart. Although every time I wanted to ask, my confidence drained and I just closed my mouth again. We sat in silence and I soon became frustrated with myself for not talking to him whilst I was in his presence. Flashes of the night whirled in my mind and I winced once more, thankful for finding something that I wasn't afraid to ask.

'H-h-how did you find me?' I asked, looking up.

Angel and Faith both looked at each other in a panicked way before Faith looked back at me, whilst Angel looked back at the floor.

'Angel and I were cruising around the neighbourhood when we saw you,' said Faith.

I remembered someone sweeping me up in their arms. I had smashed my head on the concrete – the memory made me stroke my forehead softly – and I was unaware of who actually saved me. Though, somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered someone running with me in a blur … like they were part of a superhero film.

'You fell and hit your head,' whispered Angel, wincing; the memory seemed to affect him as much as it did with me. 'You were about to give up when I picked you up and crossed you over the road.'

So, it was Angel who had run blur-like.

'It was you?' I asked, shifting my gaze to Angel. 'You were the one who ran in a blur?'

Angel's eyes widened as he studied my face, his eyes lingered on my forehead (where I guessed had been stitched up.) 'You hit your head, you lost a lot of blood – it was just your imagination,' he said.

I shook my head. I knew I had lost blood and banged my head, although I knew that I hadn't imagined running like the speed of light. No, my imagination wasn't _that _good. I suddenly became frustrated when I saw him shake his head again, obviously working out what I was thinking.

'I did NOT imagine it,' I whispered, shaking my head.

'B-'

Faith cut off when the door opened and a doctor stepped in. Even though I was new in town, I recognized the doctor within seconds of his appearance. He was Wesley O'Conner. His face was as handsome and pale as it was in my dream. Wesley smiled at me fondly as he shuffled over to my bed, a clipboard in his arms.

'Miss Summers, you're awake!' Wesley smiled, halting besides me.

I nodded slowly, drinking in his appearance. I heard Angel gulp loudly on my opposite side and I turned towards him, casting him a quick smile before turning back to Wesley.

'How is your head?' he asked.

I heard Angel suck in his breath, though Faith laid a firm hand on his shoulders with a slight squeeze.

'Fine,' I replied.

'You have a very nasty cut,' Wesley sighed, scribbling on his clipboard. 'I have applied butterfly stitches and the wound shall heal overtime!'

I smiled weakly and muttered thanks.

'You may have a concussion and your hands are slightly cut as well,' informed Wesley, nodding to my palms. 'So, you shall have to stay in for a day or two.'

I let out a loud groan and dropped my head in my hands. I automatically dropped my hands when it thumped against my wound; I winced as I looked back up to three amused faces. Angel's eyes trapped mine again as the concerned twinkle returned, however Wesley's next words caught my attention.

'Your Mother is on her way,' said Wesley.

I groaned once again, careful not to drop my head into my hands again.

Wesley bid us a farewell before walking out of the room and down the hall. The three of us fell into an uncomfortable silence; no one spoke for a while.

'I'm going to get a cup of coffee,' said Faith, rising from her seat.

Angel shot her a confused glance which she returned with a shrug. I watched as she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, trailing off in the same direction Wesley had gone. Angel watched me a moment longer before he looked back down at his hands.

I watched him closely.

Pale skin …

Ice cold touch …

Never comes in when it is sunny …

Never eats or drinks …

Could my dream be true? Could this handsome boy be a vampire?

I was about to open my mouth, unable to keep the burning question unspoken, when Angel rose to his feet.

'Your Mother is here,' he said, heading towards the door.

He opened the door and, one minute later, my Mother rushed through the door with a frantic expression. I winced as she pulled me into a hug, obviously unaware of my injuries. I looked over my shoulder and groaned, feeling my heart sink as the door closed behind Angel.

That was another thing. He knew what was going to happen minutes before it happened.

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**I am so sorry if you are not impressed with this chapter. For some reason, even though I am giving it my all, I don't know if I wrote this chapter as you expected. I didn't want Buffy to just burst out about the dream, after all – it was just a dream. Or was it? You shall find out. Thanks for the reviews! X **


	10. Late night visits

I lay in the hospital bed that night, glaring furiously at the ceiling. My Mother had refused to get me a mirror so I could observe the extent of my injuries, though she thought I wouldn't handle what I found well. I was never vain, nor did I consider myself beautiful, but I was curious as to what everyone else was seeing when they looked at me. The horrified expression on my Mother's face when she first entered my room made me wonder if my face looked more than just falling of the curb and to the ground.

I blew a curl out of my face. I looked at my hands; the cuts weren't deep, I knew they would scab over before the week was over. I felt slightly irritated that they were keeping me over today and tomorrow, I just wanted to return to school like everything was normal. I wanted to get back on my feet and run around. An image of a horse in a field wandered into my mind.

I was absorbed in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed the figure in the shadows move forward.

The beating in my heart ceased for a second as I took in his appearance, before going back to its usual pace. He took the seat next to me, without even muttering a single word, and watched me with his dark eyes. I blew another curl out of my face and sighed angrily when it flopped back down. Angel lifted his hand out and tucked it behind my ear. His skin never touched me, unlike that day in Physics, although I felt the coldness vibrate off his hands onto my face.

He sat back and watched me through his never-ending eyes. I felt the blush fight upon my cheeks, though I kept my eyes locked with his. I had to know if he was what I thought he was, or if my dream had only been a dream. To most people it would have sounded stupid, but there was something about my dream – like the exact clothes that they had worn – that made me wonder whether it was _just _a meaningless dream.

The lump in my throat was forcing me not to saying anything, to just sit here with him in this peaceful moment that I would have dreamt of if it hadn't happened. Although, before I could say anything, he spoke.

'You shouldn't have been wandering the streets alone,' he said, almost angrily.

I sat up quickly; this small action left me in pain, and I stared at him with a hard glare. He was acting like a disapproving parent and telling me off as though as had been a naughty child.

'I can do whatever I want,' I replied smoothly.

Angel cocked his eyebrow as I winced again. 'You're right. But I would prefer it if you didn't gallop around the streets – there not the safest places for people like you.'

I gaped at him for a long time. I barely knew him, I had only spoken to him once yet he was acting like he had control over my protection.

'What is it to you? Explain to me why you care if I'm safe or not? And what do you mean "people like me"?'

I watched him, waiting for his answer. Angel opened and closed his mouth a few times, his face screwed up and he looked like he was trying to solve a rather difficult math equation. Finally, after opening and closing his mouth a few more times, he shook his head and dropped them in his icy hands.

'Life is a risk,' I mumbled, looking down at the cuts on my palms. 'And I understand if you just want to keep me safe, even if you don't know me, but there is always a risk as long I'm still alive.'

I notice him flinch at my words and my thoughts wandered back to my dream. I had to ask him soon as I knew the curiosity would kill me before long.

'You just seem like my responsibility to keep safe,' Angel murmured.

I was about to reply to his comment when he stood up and shuffled from the room, closing the door quietly behind him. I sighed in frustration and bit my lip, wondering when I would see him again.

The more I got to know him, the more time I spent with him, the more he spoke to me was when my brain thought of more questions to ask him.

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**Authors Note: I am pretty disappointed with this chapter – it is beyond small in length. And I apologise. I can say that I am still ill from a few days ago and my writing skills have gone, in need of a better word, floppy. I apologise to you all as you have waited for a few days and received **_**this**_**. I hope you all still review though – your reviews really do cheer me up! x**


	11. The Hell Mouth

I was amazed by the amount of students that visited me the next day. I wasn't as surprised to see Willow, who was feeling rather guilty for letting me walk home alone, and the rest of our usual gang pile through the door, although I hardly knew the names of other students who had decided to visit me. In fact, after the twentieth unknown student, I reckoned that people were visiting me to get out of school. The only members of the school who didn't visit me were the O'Conner's, even though I predicted that anyway.

I looked out of my window and groaned as the sun assaulted my face. One of the few sunny days I had yet witnessed in Sunnydale and I was imprisoned in this hospital room with nurses badgering me about how I felt every two seconds. I was never the type of girl who liked people fussing over me, I found it rather irritating mostly, which was why the nurses only returned every few hours after I had shared this information.

I spent my day thinking about Angel and the rest of his family. I knew that there was something not ordinary about them, besides the dream that I had about them being vampires, and I questioned my insanity as I grew deeper into the mystery. I knew their skin was ice cold and pale white, they never went out in sunlight, Angel moved almost like a blur, never eats or drinks. I knew this evidence but I couldn't understand why I hadn't questioned him with it yesterday! I guess I was slightly worried about how my sanity would look, especially after I've banged my head and injured it, if I started accusing people of being vampires.

There was a knock on the door and I looked up to see the smiling face of Parker.

'Hey,' he greeted, shuffling inside. 'How are you?'

I returned his smile and gestured for him to take a seat besides my bed. 'I'm good thanks, you?'

'Alright, s'pose. I thought I would visit you as the most of the school already have!' Parker chuckled, getting comfier in his seat.

I nodded at that statement. I wondered if anyone had actually returned to school after they visited me, or had everyone simply visited then gone home? I shrugged this thought off my mind, realising that I wasn't interested in the answer, and turned back to Parker who was eyeing my head wound.

'How did you get away from them?' he asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible so he wouldn't offend me.

'Angel O'Conner found me and shooed them off,' I said, noting the look of disgust appear over Parker's face as I said Angel's name. 'But I can hardly remember, I blacked out you see.'

Parker nodded gently, his brow still furrowed from the mention of Angel's name. The gesture boiled the curiosity that was already stewing within me and I couldn't help the fact that my foot lived in my mouth.

'Have you got a problem with Angel?' I asked, trying not to sound rude.

Parker seemed taken back by my question and his brow straightened out as he stood up. For a moment I thought I had offended him and he was leaving, although he merely poked his head out of the door, looking both ways, before shutting it. He returned to his seat and looked at me, his eyes melting into mine.

'The Cold One's,' he mumbled.

I stared at him. 'The what?'

Parker took a deep breath before continuing. 'We call them the 'Cold One's'. You see, and nod your head if you think I'm insane, but there is a legend that beneath the city is a huge ball of supernatural energy.'

He paused and looked at me, like he almost expected me to question his sanity. I nodded my head, becoming very interested, and he offered me a small thankful smile.

'It is known that we live on the 'Hell Mouth',' said Parker, his eyes glanced at the closed door before flickering back to my eyes. 'Legends tell us that witches, werewolves, demons, vampires and all sort of supernatural things are attracted to Sunnydale, in fact Sunnydale is the home of the Supernatural.'

I watched him closely, waiting for him to burst into a fit of laughter or even smirk, but his face remained neutral as he waited for my signal to go on. I registered everything into my head – the witches, werewolves, demons and vampires – and forced myself not to shout 'I KNEW IT!' I blinked a few times before turning back to Parker, who was still watching me with his dark orbs, and nodded.

'I'm not hurting you head, am I?' he asked, frowning slightly. 'I mean your head is already stitched up and –'

'I'm fine!' I interrupted, offering him a gentle smile. 'Thanks though. You can continue.'

Parker nodded. 'Well, the O'Conner's are the cold ones.'

I don't know why my eyes widened at this piece of information, after my dream I should have been well prepared for this. But I guess I was that shocked because it was being spoken out loud, the theory wasn't burning away in my mind – someone else thought the same as me!

'Vampires?' I asked.

Parker nodded again. 'Well, obviously that is my family's theory.'

Parker looked down for a moment before looking up at the clock on the opposite wall. He rose to his feet and offered me a small smile, muttering something about how late it had gotten. I looked at the clock and was surprised when I realised it was five o'clock at night already; my Mother would be arriving in less than half an hour.

'See you soon!' smiled Parker, opening the door.

'Yeah,' I mumbled, deep in my own thoughts by now. 'See you soon.'

Parker closed the door behind him and wandered off down the hall. I sat in my bed, staring blankly at the opposite wall, and let Parker's words wash over me.

The Hell Mouth?

The thought of the town being built upon a big ball of supernatural energy didn't surprise me. I was surprised at how calm I was being, after all it had just been confirmed that the boy who I felt deeply for was a vampire and that supernatural creatures lived in the town where I lived. I broke out into a fit of laughter.

My life wasn't so average anymore.

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**Authors Note: Wow, thank you so much for all your kind reviews. I hoped you liked this chapter – I decided to add in some of the Buffy universe that we love so much! We are also going to be seeing a lot of Parker, though I am giving you no reason to like him – but he is needed. And, my own plotline shall begin worming its way into the story! Thanks again everyone! x**


	12. Trust Is Important

I was grateful when Wesley, or Doctor O'Conner as my Mother addressed him, informed me that I was free to go. I automatically jumped up from my bed, resulting in slight dizziness and had to sit down for another five minutes. Mother drove me back home with lots of fuss on how much of a horrible mother she thought she was. I reassured her that my accident was my fault, though nothing ever changed a mothers mind when her children were involved. I hated seeing Mother look so guilty, drowning in the blame that she didn't deserve, and I wished that I could make her understand that I would never blame her for anything that happened to me.

When we arrived home, which was empty as Giles was still at work, I told Mother that I was slightly tired and that I was going to have a few hours sleep. She raised her eyebrow as she watched me shuffle up the stairs, though she didn't stop me. I remembered how eager I had been as I rushed out of the hospital; I showed no signs of being tired until now. I shrugged my shoulders and entered my room, shutting the door behind me.

Instead of heading to my bed, I walked over to the window and tugged it open. I casted a glance over my shoulder before stepping through my window and climbing down the drain pipes. I chuckled to myself as I exited the back garden, proud for not being clumsy and resulting in another accident.

I didn't know the motive behind my journey, in fact my mind was giving my feet directions and it was like I had no choice in the matter. I knew that I was being irrational and I should return home, especially before Mother found out that I was gone. I couldn't imagine the pain behind her blue eyes when she entered my empty room – I knew she would blame herself like always. I bit down on my lip and tried to ignore the guilt surging throughout my body as Mother swarmed my thoughts.

Finally, after minutes of drowning within my own guilt, I had arrived to my destination.

I stood on the edge of the curb and stepped down slowly onto the edge of the deserted road. When I blinked I saw my body falling off the curb and smashing onto the road. Though I knew that I was alone now, there was no one here. For now. I wondered if he would come.

I looked behind my shoulder, almost expecting to see four staggering shadows advancing upon me but I was always alone. I tightened my jacket around my thin frame and cuddled into the warmth it brought.

I heard tires squeal down the street as a car zoomed towards me. A shiny black Land Rover screeched at a halt in front of me, the passenger door was thrown open. I stepped back up onto the pavement, even though I recognized the car, as an instinct. I knew who that car belonged to, still remembering the day when it zoomed off after the owner's eyes clashed with mine.

'Get in,' growled a voice.

I shook my head, taking another step backwards from the car.

'Please,' he whispered, softer this time.

I smirked and bounced towards the car, dropping myself into the passenger seat. I closed the door behind me and sat in silence as the car sped off down the road once more. I stayed quiet, waiting for him to form the words that were racing through his mind. I cringed slightly as I noticed how fast we were going – did he always drive like a lunatic?

'What were you thinking?' questioned Angel, taking a deep breath.

I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing the words that would answer his question. I didn't even know myself what I was thinking or why I ended up at the scene of the accident. I knew that he would come rushing for me, I didn't know why but I just knew it.

'It isn't safe in the dark,' he muttered, shaking his head. 'I thought I told you this already.'

I nodded, looking down at my hands since looking out of the window made me feel sick. I felt the concern in his voice, yet the anger was trying to boom over it. Angel sighed loudly and looked at me from the corner of his eyes, scanning me for any fresh wounds.

'I'm fine,' I said, motioning over my body.

His eyes lingered on the butterfly stitches on my head then at the cuts on palms.

'They'll heal,' I reassured, answering the question he left unspoken.

Angel nodded and ran his free hand through his glossy hair, sighing again. I wondered whether I was stressing him out with my 'I'm-just-looking-for-danger' attitude, and instantly felt guilty. After all, he was still a stranger to me and yet he wanted to protect me like I was his responsibility. A small smile spread across my lips as he ran his free hand over his pale white face.

His skin tone reminded me why I was here. I knew that I hadn't come just to stare at this beautiful boy.

'The Hell Mouth, huh?' I said, gulping as I saw his face stiffen at my words. 'I'm surprised how unsurprised I am.'

I paused for a moment, replaying my words in my head and wondering if they made sense. My eyes scrunched up in confusion, though I shook my head and turned back to Angel.

His hands were clamped onto the steering wheel like he was never letting go, his eyes looked like slits as he peered through the window and his lips were pressed together tightly to form a straight line. Even in this state, which I guessed was anger more than anything, he still looked more beautiful than any other person I had met.

'Witches, werewolves, demons,' I mumbled, ticking off each word on one of my fingers. 'And Vampires.'

I noticed Angel wince like I had punched him in the face. His face remained hardened as we drove through the darkened streets, not muttering a word whilst I watched him with my curious eyes.

'Pale skin, never goes out into the sunlight, ice cold, knows everything that's going to happen a minute before it does,' I whispered, my eyes now fixed on my clutched hands. 'Not to mention that you're inhumanly beautiful.'

Angel pulled up at the side of the road, yet his hands were still clutched onto the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing his cold skin over his pale face. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me with pained eyes, almost as if he were terribly sad.

'You can run now,' Angel sighed, turning his eyes back to the front of the car.

'Excuse me?' I said.

'If you are afraid, you can run – I won't stop you,' he replied.

He expected me to run? Even worse, he thought I was afraid? I had never been so unafraid in my whole life, his presence seemed like a shield to me – a shield that was indestructible. The way he said I felt like his responsibility to protect meant something to me, like he was promising to protect me from the despair this cruel world could bring.

'I'm not afraid,' I said firmly.

'You should be,' Angel growled, his hands clenching into fists.

'You could never make me afraid,' I mumbled, a blush spreading to my cheeks.

A smile tugged at Angel's lips when he noticed my blush, although it quickly vanished when my words had sunk in. He frowned and watched me through his dark orbs, unable to hide the confusion that I brought to them.

'But you know what I am,' Angel frowned.

'And yet, for some totally irrational and complicated reason, I trust you,' I smiled softly.

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**Authors Note: YAYNESS! At least twelve more reviews till 100! I am so excited. Sad, aren't I ? Anyway, was that alright? I don't know if it should have been more tense or if they should of handled it differently. Argh well, let me know in your reviews! x**


	13. In The Forest

'Come on,' said Angel, acting like he didn't hear me.

He opened his door and stepped out, slamming it behind him. Before I could even undo my seatbelt, Angel had run around and swung open the door. I unbuckled my seat belt and jumped out of the car, following behind Angel who had begun walking towards the forest that lined the street. I didn't bother to ask where we were going; I just followed behind him and stayed silent.

I found it odd how trusting I had become to him. I had rarely spoken to him or seen him at school, and now I was following him towards a forest when I knew he was a vampire! I shook my head; however a grin still wormed its way across my face.

'What are you smiling about?' asked Angel curiously.

I dragged myself back into reality, into the dark forest which I was now stumbling through. I wasn't surprised when I saw Angel by my side, his pale skin standing out brightly against the dark night, with a confused expression. I just offered him a small smile and shrugged my shoulders lamely. His musical chuckle echoed through my ears as we continued walking deeper into the forest.

Questions burned my throat as I tightened my jacket around me, forcing myself not to shiver. For a moment I wondered if he was taking me into the forest to kill me … it seemed logical enough. Though, after glancing at his calm face, the trust returned and I instantly mimicked his calm expression. I was suddenly walking yet not really taking everything into account, which was why I had continued walking when Angel stopped.

'Buffy,' he called.

I blinked a few times before spinning on my heel, blushing slightly. I returned to his side and looked around, pretending to look like I wasn't lost. After a few minutes, I couldn't stand the silence anymore.

'As much as I love standing in forests at night, why am I here?' I asked.

Angel chuckled, though his face soon became rigid. I looked at him closely and noticed how much in pain he looked, like some invisible being was stabbing him repeatedly in the stomach.

'Are you ok?' I whispered, my eyes watching his every expression.

Another chuckle escaped him. 'You're stood in a dark forest with a vampire and you're asking me if I'm alright?'

I laughed as well this time, finding my question quite amusing now. I quieted down when I noticed Angel's beautiful eyes watching me in interest.

'What?' I said.

He cocked his head to the side and studied my face. I felt like I was being X-rayed, as if he could see straight through me with his brown orbs. I stared back at him.

'Why aren't you running away?' Angel asked, frowning.

It was my turn to study his face. I would never understand why he thought I would run away from him – even if he was a vampire who could suck my blood dry. It was like there was a magnet between us; attracting us to each other.

I took a step forward, he took a step back. I hardened my glare as I took another step forward, proving that I wasn't going to back down. Angel returned the hardened glare, although he didn't step back this time when I stepped forward. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before shutting his mouth, keeping his eyes closed. He flinched slightly when my fingertips stroked across his cheek. His icy skin didn't bother me now, I expected it this time and the forest also shared the same temperature.

'See,' I whispered, forcing myself to stop stroking his beautiful face. 'You won't hurt me.'

'I am a monster,' he growled.

His eyes sprung open and he glared at me as if I had offended him. I didn't step backwards from his glare because I knew that it would have seemed like I was scared, instead I stood my ground and returned the glare.

'Humans kill each other, they destroy this Earth day by day, and they are selfish and cruel. Humans walk this Earth, leaving behind a mass of destruction in their wake – from something as extreme as murder or just dropping chewing gum on a once clean floor. You tell me again who the true monsters are?' I said, folding my arms across my chest as stubbornly as I could.

Angel shook his head.

He ran over to a tree about five metres away and back. This would have been normal if he hadn't run there and back within the time it had taken me to blink. I instantly remembered the night when he saved me from those hooded men. He had run like a blur, he lied to me!

'You lied to me!' I muttered angrily.

I felt the anger wash away when he looked at me with his brown eyes, however I felt irritated that I had fallen for his charming good looks.

'I apologise,' Angel said, frowning slightly. 'You seem too fragile to be introduced to the supernatural world!'

I wrinkled my nose. 'Ew. I am NOT some blonde who is the 'Damsel in distress' type. I can take care of myself.'

Angel smiled as I slowly loosened up my folded arms.

'I know how you could make it up to me,' I smiled sweetly.

The smile immediately vanished from Angel's face and worry replaced it. He watched me intensely as I became silent, trying to add more suspense to our situation. Though, much to my disappointment, Angel never showed any sign of becoming impatient. I sighed.

'I want to know everything,' I stated, smiling again.

I guessed that if Angel wasn't deathly white and had some slight colour to his marble skin then the colour would have drained. The hardened look returned onto his face, although it now seemed protecting as well.

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_Authors Note: Hope I didn't disappoint. YAY – Buffy and Angel are on the road. I'm currently reading 'Breaking Dawn' (the fourth and final book in the Twilight Series) and new ideas are springing up everywhere. I can promise you that I am staying true to the Buffy Universe though! And I can promise that this fanfic is first out of at least five sequels. Well, that depends on if you would still like to read it (:_

_Much Love,_

_Beth. x_


	14. Understanding

'I want to know everything,' I stated.

Angel winced, though he didn't deny my request. He reached out towards one of the trees and, in one swift and easy motion; he pulled the tree out of the ground. My eyes widened as he dropped the tree with a thud besides him. He took a seat on the trunk and I guessed that I was supposed to join him. I shuffled over and dropped myself on the trunk, stroking my fingertips over the rough texture. My imagination kicked in and I found myself wondering what other powers he possessed, if he was hiding anything else.

'So you can run fast-'

'I think _fast _isn't the right word,' Angel chuckled.

I looked at the smile on his face. The corners of my lips tugged into a smile, whilst I resisted the urge to touch his lips. The smile soon vanished, like it always did, and his face turned emotionless.

'But, yes, I am fast,' he said.

My smile suddenly vanished like his had. I watched his beautiful face, wondering what I ever did to find myself in his company. I was just an ordinary girl and now I had been introduced into this supernatural world. The world that I had grown up – the normal human world – now seemed unreal to me.

'And you have super strength,' I added, my eyes darting to the tree we were sat upon. 'But there's something else, isn't there?'

I was shocked by my own words. Was there something else? The words came out before I even processed them, maybe I was getting old. Angel's face remained calm, though, in a way, slightly smug. I cocked my head to the side and watched him, waiting for his answer.

My eyes searched his face. The deepness within his brown eyes, the twinkle they possessed when he was happy was enough to wind me. The paleness of his skin attracted me to him; it looked like the softest snow or the fluffiest cloud. The way his lips formed when he smiled or frowned. His brown hair was beautiful. I knew that any male model in the world would trade places with Angel.

Finally Angel nodded, although he knew as well as I that he wasn't going to get away with just a nod of the head. I sat back up and wiped my mouth, feeling the pools of drool form in the corner of my lips.

'I can read minds,' Angel whispered.

It explained it all – like how he knew what was going to happen moments before it did. Though his word crashed upon me and I almost screamed. Had he just heard everything I was thinking? Did he know the deep attraction I possessed for him? Had he just heard me describing and analyzing everything about his appearance? Could he hear me now?

'Except you,' he whispered, his brows pulling together. 'I can never read yours.'

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had always preferred having a lot of things private. Privacy was important to me; I didn't want to be exposed like celebrities were – having everything about them published for the world to known. Sometimes things were better left unknown, unspoken.

'How odd. Why do you think that is?' I asked, sound rather formal.

Angel shrugged. 'I have no idea.'

I nodded. A cold breeze swept through my body and a large shiver ran down my spine. Angel caught me shiver because he stood up, picking me up in his arms and ran through the forest in his blur-like state. I kept my eyes open the whole way, surprised that I didn't feel nauseous, though kept my eyes focused on Angel. We arrived at the car in less than half a minute. I wriggled in Angel's grasp, although he didn't let me go as he threw open the door and dropped me in my seat. Before I had even fastened my seatbelt, or got used to the emptiness I felt without Angel's arms around me, Angel was sat behind the wheel and shoving his keys in the ignition.

'You didn't tell me _everything_,' I moaned, pouting my lips.

Angel rolled his eyes, however a smile crept upon his handsome face. The urge to stroke his lips returned and I took a fresh breath of air to steady myself.

'What do you to know?' he asked, his face hardening once again.

I paused for a moment. What did I want to know? Everything, I already knew that. There were so many questions I wanted to ask; so many questions that I needed answers to, but where did I start? A sharp pain surfaced in my head and my hand flew to my butterfly stitches. I had a question I _needed _to know.

'How did you know where I was?' I asked.

'When?' said Angel, squinting his eyes.

'When I being followed. When I got this beauty,' I replied, pointing to my forehead.

The look of pain on his face worried me. I knew it couldn't have been avoided, maybe it could have, but I didn't want him to feel guilty for anything that happened to me. The pain on his face almost mimicked my Mother's expression when she drove me home earlier. He must have classed me as something to protect more than I thought.

'I can read minds, right?' he said.

I nodded.

'Well, Spike can calm your emotions … like help you relax. And Faith can see the future,' Angel murmured, keeping his eyes focused on outside.

'Wow,' I whispered.

Before I arrived at Sunnydale, I had always thought that superpowers were something comic book writers made up to give children hope. I had never believed that out there, somewhere on the same planet as me, would there be people who possessed those sorts of powers. It seemed so unreal, like I was going to wake up in a few moments and realise it was just a dream. Maybe then it would explain how such a beautiful person could be sitting within inches of me at this moment in time. One way to be sure if I was dreaming or not …

I pinched myself.

Angel chuckled from besides me, obviously watching me from the corners of his eyes.

'Ow,' I mumbled, rubbing the newly red patch of skin.

'You think you're dreaming?' Angel asked.

I shook my head. I didn't want to steer the conversation away from the original topic so I decided to say something before it was too late.

'Faith saw me getting followed by those guys?' I said.

It was more of a question than statement. As if I needed his answer to certain me of the knowledge I already knew.

My eyes were drawn to Angel's hands. His grip was firm and hard on the steering wheels, the hardness mimicked on his face and I noticed he looked angry. I guessed that his knuckles would have whitened if they weren't already a smooth marble white.

'Hey, I'm Ok,' I soothed.

I fought the temptation to touch him when he looked this angry.

'You didn't know what they were thinking,' Angel growled.

His dark eyes now looked like slits in the light of street lamps. I felt slightly queasy as I thought of the possibilities that them four men were thinking. The image of me pinned down to the floor whilst they hovered above me. I shook off the image and focused outside on the scenery.

'I smelt your blood when you fell,' Angel whispered softly, his hands relaxing on the steering wheel. 'I was able to track you down quicker.'

'My blood?' I asked, turning to face him.

I wanted to know as much as possible. I wondered what he ate, as I doubted that he ate human blood. I was about to ask my questions, as I had already asked one on the whole journey, when he came to a stop outside my house.

I sighed and unfastened my seatbelt before getting out of the car. I placed my hand on the door and looked at him. It seemed harder than I thought closing the door, putting space between us. Angel must have seen my hesitation because he smiled reassuringly at me.

'I'll see you tomorrow?' I said.

'Definitely,' he smiled, looking behind me. 'You need someone to stop you from falling over or finding trouble. Oh, by the way, your Mother is rather worried about you.'

My eyes widened. 'Oh my god, she knows I snuck out?!'

Angel chuckled once again, before his face straightened out. 'No. She's worried that you blame her for you accident.'

'She shouldn't,' I grumbled.

'She's a Mother. It is her job to worry,' Angel replied, smiling. 'She loves you more than you could ever possibly imagine.'

I smiled warmly before closing the door. As I walked up towards my house, ignoring the brown orbs that were watching me, I began to think of ways I could thank my Mother and return her love.

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_Authors Note: Longer piece than usual… I think. Thanks so much for the reviews! It means a lot. Please continue to review as you readers are the inspiration to this fanfic. Oh, and I am already planning the sequel to this – aren't I sad? Hha. _

_Much Love,_

_Beth. x_


	15. Dreams 2

'Are you STUPID?'

I blinked twice. I realised that I had returned to that beautiful house that I had last dreamed about. Instead of being in the room with the large glass table in the centre, I was stood in the enormous sitting room with the large plasma TV and four leather sofas. My emerald eyes wandered around the right hand side of the room before falling upon the seven people spread out across the other side.

Angel was stood in the centre with Cordelia in front of him, hands on her hips with a furious expression. Wesley was hovering between them, almost like he was ready to break up a fight if one were to happen, whilst Tara stood slightly behind him. Riley had his hands on Cordelia's shoulders, his face looking anxious and worried slightly. Spike was leant against the window, grinning in amusement as the rain pelted against the glass. And Faith stood straightened besides Angel, her beautiful face looking determined yet pleasant.

'Now, Cordelia, you know Angel is not stupid,' replied Wesley, still hovering.

Cordelia's nostrils flared as her slit-like eyes travelled over Angel. Her fingernails clutched into the skin on either side of her hips, almost as if her nails would sink straight through, and she was biting her lip with a hard amount of pressure. She seemed to slowly start relaxing as Riley massaged her shoulders.

'Yeah, Cordy, lay off,' said Spike from besides the window.

A low growl issued from her lips as she flashed an angry glare at Spike. Spike just laughed, shook his head and turned to look back out of the window. Cordelia seemed to relax for a moment before starting up again.

'How can I lay off when it will be Angel's fault that our ENTIRE existence is about to be plastered over _Sunnydale Today,_' growled Cordelia.

Riley whispered something into Cordelia's ear and she allowed her hands to drop by her sides. I edged nearer when I noticed the calm washing over her, throwing a look at Spike who had his eyes fixed upon her.

'What was I supposed to do, Cordelia? Let her die!' hissed Angel.

His hands were clenched into fists now. The look of anger on his face scared me and, even though I knew I was probably just dreaming, I took a step backwards away from him. His bottom lip curled as his eyes scrunched up in anger, glaring at Cordelia who was still stood in front of him with a stubborn face. I wondered how they all seem unafraid of each other, especially when they could be angry puppies with fangs.

'Of course not, Angel,' whispered Tara, taking a step forward and laying her small hand on his tense shoulders.

Angel softened under her touch, though his face remained hardened as he continued to stare at Cordelia.

'We'll be run out of this town,' said Cordelia, frowning now. 'And I like it here, Angel; it actually feels like home for the first time in centuries!'

I suddenly felt sympathy for Cordelia, even though I guessed that she didn't like me very much. But there was something deep within her eyes that looked hurt. I couldn't imagine how she felt; never actually finding a home to settle down in, always having to move away after you got comfy. It probably wasn't easy on any of them. But they lived forever, they could see much more of the world then anyone ever has.

In that one small moment, I decided that was how I wanted my future to be.

'We understand, Cordy,' said Riley gently.

All was silent for a moment.

'I don't know what you're bloody getting your knickers into a twist for though,' said Spike, joining the circle. 'It wasn't like Angel told her we were vampires – he just saved her arse.'

I wished that they would remember I was _only _human, I thought. I was weak and vulnerable, nothing at all like them with their strong muscles and fast legs. Being a vampire seemed much more exciting.

'And how do we know that she hasn't worked it out, huh? I'm pretty sure that she'll work it out. After all, she knows Angel saved her!'

Cordelia fell silent again, letting Riley continue to massage her shoulders, whilst she looked around at everyone. Everyone seemed to be on Angel's side, which I was entirely grateful for as it was my life he had saved. Cordelia rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room.

'Couldn't you have controlled her emotions a little better?' questioned Riley, throwing a look at Spike.

Spike shrugged. 'Dude, your girlfriends' emotions are _way _too hard to control. It took near enough most of my power to calm her down even a little bit!'

Riley rolled his eyes, like Cordelia had, and followed her out of the room. Spike shrugged his shoulders again and moved over to Faith. Wesley and Tara relaxed and took a seat on one of the leather sofas.

'I better go and check up on Buffy,' said Angel.

My heart skipped a beat as he said my name. It sounded so unique coming from his tongue.

Before I knew it, he had vanished from the room. I cursed how fast he was able to run and suddenly remembered how graceful he had ran with me in his arms back in the forest. The wind sweeping through my hair, the feel of his arms around me, the protected look in his eyes as he carried me …

'I bet you that they'll be a couple before long,' laughed Faith.

Spike slung his arm around her waist lazily. 'I would never bet against you, Faith. And how long?'

'I can't tell you that now, can I? But, lets say that Angel can't control his strong bond to this girl for much longer' smiled Faith, winking at him.

I watched with widened eyes as their words sunk in. Me and Angel? A couple? I longed for that to be true, though I could never see it happening. Why would such a beautiful vampire want to be with a boring human like me?

----

The sunlight assaulted my face and I groaned, cursing the sun for waking me up. The dream had felt so realistic, like I was actually stood in their sitting room in their huge mind wandered back to my previous dream. I shrugged my shoulders as I stood up, yet the dream remained firmly in my head.

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**Authors Note; Thanks so much, everyone! You are all stars! The dreams shall be explained in about two more chapters. Some of you are probably thinking 'ew, don't make her a vampire' – I can say that it shall continue to be a question on whether she is going to be turned or not … yet only I know the answer! Awful, aren't I? No worries, this fic has at least another three sequels to it. And it definitely won't end like you think! By the way – there shall be no drama in this fic, just pure romance, yet the sequel is full of it. Much love, Beth x **


	16. Car Ride

I examined myself in the mirror. My white long sleeved top hugged my upper body perfectly and my jeans clung to my legs. I pulled on my black sneakers before rushing over to my desk to find my brush. When I found my brush, which I had thrown under my desk yesterday morning, I dragged it through my wavy hair. My hair straightened out for a few moments before returning to its wavy state, though I preferred it this way. I grabbed my school bag and headed towards the door, pulling on my black jacket as I went. However the door opened before I reached it.

Mother stepped inside, wearing her fluffy pink slippers and matching dressing gown, and smiled at me. I knew there was no point in reminding her that she didn't knock; Mothers had the nag of suspecting we were up to something when we wanted them to knock.

'Morning,' I said.

'Morning. Erm, honey, did you know that a huge black jeep is waiting outside for you?' she asked.

I cocked my head in confusion. It suddenly dawned on me as the memories of last night invaded my mind. My Mother knew the car belonged to Angel O'Conner, I wondered why she hadn't just said that he was waiting for me. I shrugged it off, kissing Mother on the cheek, and ran out of the room.

I took the stairs two at a time and avoided falling off the last step by gripping onto the banister. I heard Mother tut at me from the top of the stairs, although I already at the door and getting ready to throw it open. My eyes widened when I realised my Mother was telling the truth.

A black jeep was parked outside of my house with Angel O'Conner leaning casually against it, holding a large red umbrella above his head to protect himself from the rain.

My heart thudded against my chest and a blush grew warm on my cheeks as I shut the door behind me, pulling my hood over my head. I didn't understand why he had drove all the way to my house just to see me, it just seemed to perfect to be true. Though, none the less, I couldn't help smile broadly at him as I approached him.

'Need a ride to school?' Angel smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth.

'Sure,' I replied.

Angel stood rather close to me and held the umbrella over my head, letting himself get wet instead. I took a huge gulp of air and forced myself to control the butterflies fluttering around my empty stomach. I was thankful that I hadn't eaten breakfast that morning as I would have probably thrown up by now.

Angel opened the passenger door with one hand, the other still holding the umbrella over my head. I looked up and wondered how on earth I was supposed to get up without a ladder. Angel chuckled at my expression, dropped the umbrella in my hands and grabbed me by the waist, picking me up off the floor. I squealed, in one of those irritating girlish ways, but quietened down when I remembered that his hands were on my waist. He dropped me into the passenger seat before closing the door and walking around. I closed down the umbrella and dropped it in my lap.

He was starting the car before I even had chance to blink. I watched as he pressed down the gas pedal and we zoomed off down the street in a faster speed then I would have liked.

'Erm, don't take this as if I'm being rude, why are you doing this?' I asked.

I looked up at his expression. He looked amused; his eyes sparkled slightly and the corners of his mouth tugged up in a small grin. I loved it when he smiled … it warmed me up inside, even if his touch froze me.

'It's odd,' he said, his eyes fixed on the road. 'You make me almost feel human.'

I cocked my head to the side, letting my eyes drink in his appearance. 'How?' I asked.

'You always seem to take my non-existent breath away,' Angel smiled.

My heart was growing to break through my chest at the rate it was beating. I had never blushed so hard in my life. I would never understand how an ordinary and plain looking girl like me could take his breath away. I looked down at the fidgeting hands in my lap.

'Thanks. I'm not anything special though, just a ordinary human girl' I said, smiling.

Angel shook his head.

'You're much more than that. Your infectious-'

'Gee, thanks!' I laughed, rolling my eyes. 'One minute I am taking your 'non-existent breath' away and then I'm infectious!'

I couldn't help but smirk at his comment, though I doubted he meant it in the way I had jokingly taken it. He rolled his eyes at me and asked if it was Ok for him to continue what he was saying.

'I meant you're infectious because I can't seem to leave you alone now,' Angel continued, sneaking glances at me from the corner of his eyes. 'I crave your presence. You're interesting to watch.'

'Wow. Maybe I should go on the documentary channel,' I wondered out loud.

Angel chuckled at me.

I suddenly remembered all the questions I had wanted to ask him and, seen as we were alone, I knew that this was probably the best time to ask him.

'I've got some questions to ask you,' I said, watching his face.

He winced slightly. 'Actually, if it was ok with you, I wanted to ask you some questions first.'

I wondered what questions he would want to ask me. I thought he would have known everything about me by now, using her superpower to learn things about me from other people's minds, though I guessed not.

'How about we go in turns?' asked Angel, noticing my hesitation.

I nodded slowly.

'What do you think of Sunnydale?' Angel asked, peeking a sideway glance at me.

I didn't expect that question to be asked, even though it was a simple question. I had been in Sunnydale for two, almost three, weeks now and I had already been able to land myself in hospital. Though I knew, even though LA would always be part of me, that Sunnydale had become my home now – it was where I belonged.

'It feels like home now. I've been in the hospital already! It just seems that I've been here forever,' I laughed.

Angel smirked, though his face soon became neutral again. I suddenly picked up on my last word; _forever. _I wondered if he had literally been in Sunnydale forever. The more I thought of him living forever, the more I wanted to join him.

'How long have you been in Sunnydale for?' I said.

Angel's body tensed up and his hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel like the previous night. He closed his eyes, which made me panic because we were still driving, before opening them.

'Around three years. We lived in Forks for six years before we came here,' he answered coolly.

'And you've been this age for how long?' I questioned, pointing at his seventeen year old body.

'A long time.'

His tone told me that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I tried to steer the conversation away from his age – though the vampire business I wouldn't let drop. However, before I was able to get in another question, he pointed out that it was his turn to ask a question. I sighed in defeat and nodded, leaning back into my comfy seat.

'What do you dream about?' Angel asked.

How odd, I thought. Though my thoughts instantly turned to the dream I had last night. The one with the O'Conner family. It felt so realistic that I found myself wondering that morning whether it was a dream or not.

'Recently I've been dreaming about your family,' I answered honestly.

I was surprised at how unsurprised Angel seemed. In fact his facial expression didn't change at all; he just remained calm as if I had never spoke at all.

'You aren't surprised?' I said.

'Not really,' he replied, shrugging his shoulders. 'I heard you saying my name last night in your sleep. What did you dream about?'

If he hadn't distracted me with his last question, which I guessed he asked on purpose, then I would have questioned him about being in my room. However he wanted to know about my dream, so I knew I had to tell him. I hadn't even noticed that he had parked up in the school parking lot, where everyone who passed by would stare at the car, and turned to face me to give me his full attention.

'It was like a few hours after I was put in hospital,' I said, trying to remember everything important I had dreamt. 'Cordelia said something like 'are you stupid?' and everyone was watching her and you. She thought I would work out what you are and tell everyone – which I wouldn't.'

I noticed Angel's eyes widened. 'Anything else that stuck out to you?'

'She thought she'd be run out of the town. She said, erm, something about Sunnydale feeling like her actual home. She stormed out, Riley asked Spike why he couldn't control her emotions a little better, and then you said you better go and check up on me.' I finished.

I decided to leave out the part where Faith and Spike discussed me and Angel being a couple. I knew it wasn't the best time to bring it up, I needed to know him some more. I watched as Angel's eyes widened some more.

Angel opened his door and stepped outside in the furious rain. I jumped out as well, pulling the umbrella out with me and closing the door behind me. I opened the umbrella and pulled it over my head, walking towards the sidewalk. Angel was already there, raindrops rolling down his smooth face, and he seemed to be working out something in his head.

'I need to go and find the others,' he mumbled.

He began to sprint off in a normal human pace, leaving me stood besides his jeep in the rain. I wondered what I had said to make him act in such a way.

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**Authors Note: Longish piece, huh? I was bored, what can I say? I posted a Twilight fic yesterday called 'My Baby' – it needs some reviews, so if anyone would check it out! I suggest that you shouldn't read it unless you've read Breaking Dawn. Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm guessing that this story has like ten/nine more chapters until the sequel. Reviews are appreciated! Much love! Beth xx**


	17. Happiness with a side of guilt

I slowly walked to registration, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Angel. I closed the umbrella as I stepped inside, realising that Angel would have to see me again if he wanted his umbrella returned. Although I doubted that he would rather me keep it, probably having no intention of wanting it back. I continued to walk to registration in a daze, waving lazily at people who called my name. It wasn't until one particular voice sounded that I snapped out of my dreams.

I spun on my heel to see Willow and Oz hurrying to catch up with me. I stopped and waited for them to join me, grateful for the distraction away from Angel and his oddness this morning. Willow enveloped me in a hug and told me how glad she was that I was back at school. I had completely forgotten how long it had been since I had been school. My mind had been so busy lately that school had been my last priority.

'Hey,' I greeted Oz as Willow stepped back.

'Welcome back,' smiled Oz, chuckling.

Even though his spirits seemed high, I noticed what a mess he looked. A purple bruise had formed on his cheek, a faint cut had scabbed over above his eyebrow and huge bags lay beneath his eyes. The smile didn't reach his eyes. He must have noticed me observing him as he quickly began rambling on.

'So, I was talking to Parker,' said Oz, beginning to walk towards registration again. Willow and I began to follow. I noticed Willow didn't seem as concerned about her boyfriend as I was. 'And he wanted to know if everyone is still up for going to the beach.'

I had completely forgotten about going to the beach! It seemed like years ago when Parker had invited me and my friends, though my accident had pushed the invitation out of my head. And Parker didn't remind me when he visited me in the hospital, but I found his information about the Hell Mouth much more interesting.

'You still up for it?' asked Willow, turning to me.

I was pretty sure that I would rather learn more about Angel O'Conner with my spare time; however I remembered how guilty Willow had felt after my accident. I needed to repay her and show her that it was not her fault. Willow and the gang had accepted me into their group; I owed them more than a visit to the beach.

'Course,' I said, flashing a smile.

Willow returned my smile and almost skipped into the classroom. Oz laughed and followed behind her, enjoying the moment of happiness his girlfriend was having. I walked in after them, running my fingers through my wavy hair, and looked around.

Mr Murphy was sat at his desk, staring tiredly at his computer screen. I greeted him and I smiled when I noticed the flash of happiness across his face at my voice. I looked around the classroom and wasn't surprised to see the class rather empty. Some people used the rain as an excuse to get out of school, telling their parents stories about how slippery the rain made the road. I knew my Mother would never fall for that excuse – especially as I didn't drive myself.

'Buffster!' shouted Xander.

Xander was always pleased to see me. I waved and made my way over to him. He seemed more eager than usual when I took a seat besides him, where a girl who fancied Xander usually sat.

'You're coming to the beach, huh?' he asked, flashing me a huge smile.

I nodded.

'Awesome!' Xander said, clapping his hands together in excitement.

We began to discuss arrangements for our trip, Willow and Oz pitching in every once in a while, until our every action for that day was planned out. And I didn't even need to pretend anymore – I was rather excited now.

----

I had been that absorbed in my normal life throughout the morning that I had forgotten what I had last period. If it wasn't for Parker, who had joined us at Lunch, then I would have been wandering around the school without a slightest clue of where I was supposed to be. I followed Parker to physics, hanging onto his every word and laughing at his unusual jokes. He smiled down at me for a long time and resulted in making me feel self conscious.

'What?' I asked as I entered into the physics room.

'Nothing,' mumbled Parker, blushing slightly.

I rolled my eyes with a playful grin on my face. Parker laughed, loosing the blush on his cheeks, and strutted over to his desk. I began to follow him, though I immediately froze as I stared at _my_ empty table.

I looked around and noticed Angel was nowhere to be seen in class. I knew that it was raining which eliminated the possibility that he had to go home, and I was pretty sure that I had seen him at lunch. I searched my memory; I didn't even remember glancing over at their table once as I had focused on the conversations at my own table. Guilt bubbled in my stomach and I now had no reason to blame him for not coming to the lesson.

I took my seat at the lone table and dropped my bag on the floor, sighing. I knew this lesson would drag on before it even started. I folded my arms on table and dropped my head onto them, loosing all the happiness that had built up throughout the day.

I spent the lesson in silence, gazing out of the window and paying no attention to the film on the television. Mr Howell had called it a _special treat,_ though it didn't seem any more special than a normal class would have been. I guess guilt was eating me alive that I hadn't even bothered to think about Angel. I wondered when my life had started being revolved around him.

----

'See you tomorrow!' called Parker, walking out of the door.

I didn't even need to return the goodbye as the door had already closed behind him. I blinked a few times before standing up, realising that the lesson was over. I grabbed my bag and shuffled towards the door, smiling at Mr Howell, before disappearing into the sea of students in the corridor.

Before anyone could even barge into me, or me barge into them, a hand enclosed around mine and dragged me down the hall. I tightened my grip on my bag before looking up into the now familiar brown orbs.

'Ditching class, huh?' I grumbled.

Angel chuckled and continued to pull me along the corridor. It was odd how there was a path made out for us, students cramming themselves against the wall so they wouldn't get in our way. I found it rather unusual, although it only made Angel grin more.

'Where are we going?' I said.

'My house,' replied Angel casually.

Oh …

My …

God.

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**Authors Note: Wooo! I had two snow days off – and it has forecasted for snow tonight, so that means I won't have to go in school like I did today. Thank god. More writing time. Reviews are appreciated! So, even if you hate it, please just send me a review so I know you're out there! Thanks x**


	18. The Home Of My Lover

I didn't understand why I felt so nervous, though I knew it was definitely not because I was going to a house full of vampires. I obviously knew Angel and had come to get to know him better throughout the next few days. I had seen the other O'Conner's around school. Faith had been there when I woke up in the hospital, I had only seen Spike and Riley in my dreams and I had a feeling that Cordelia didn't really like me. I had met Wesley during my time at the hospital, though I had never met Tara. I would never understand why I wasn't scared of them biting me, in fact I wouldn't mind letting them bite me.

I had been so lost in thought that I didn't notice when Faith came bouncing up to me in the parking lot.

'Hey B!' greeted Faith, giving me a squeeze around the shoulders. 'I'm so glad that I can actually talk to you now!'

I noticed her flash an irritated look at Angel, who rolled his eyes, before turning back to me. She flashed me a huge smile and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards Angel's jeep. I looked over my shoulder and noticed Angel laughing, shuffling behind us in a slow human pace.

'I can't wait for you to meet us properly,' said Faith.

I nodded slowly, ignoring the sickly feeling in my stomach. 'I don't mean to be rude but how come-'

Faith stopped besides the car and moaned at the pace Angel was walking. I heard her mutter something about him being able to walk one hundred times quicker and how pathetic his attempt at being human was.

'Well, as you probably know, you've been having these wacky dreams. So Angel, being the curious git he is, found out something that we should share with you,' she interrupted. She lifted her head up towards Angel. 'YOU BETTER HURRY UP BEFORE I KICK YOUR ARSE!'

Angel laughed as he finally reached the drivers side of the car. Faith opened the passenger seat and helped me up, laughing at my weakness. She closed the door and appeared in the seat behind me a few seconds later, lolling her head on the back of the seat. Angel pulled out his keys and shoved them in the ignition.

I began to bite my nails as I kept my eyes focused on the outside scenery. I wondered what Angel had found out and why he couldn't just tell me now instead of keeping me waiting. I snuck a glance at his face and noticed his face was calm, which meant that it wasn't bad or concerning knowledge he had found out. I breathed a sigh of relief and could have sworn I heard Faith chuckle from the back seat.

'Cordelia is going to be pissed off,' said Faith, laughing louder now. 'But she'll sod off hunting with Riley when she's heard enough.'

Angel nodded, although he didn't say anything back.

I knew that Faith had seen this with her future-telling power. I couldn't help but feel sick when I heard about Cordelia being angry. I knew it was probably me that she would be angry with, whether I had a reason to make her angry or not, and I wondered why she had such a grudge on me. I had never spoke to her since I had first seen the O'Conner's, yet she had took it on herself to make it clear, in my dreams at least, that she didn't quite like me.

'Cordelia won't say anything,' whispered Angel.

I nodded my head slowly. I knew I should believe him because I knew he would always tell me the truth; however I just couldn't push away the fear bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

----

I looked around as the forest thinned out and a house stood in the clearing. My eyes widened as I observed the house, realising how exact it looked to the one in my dreams.

The house was still made out of oak wood and glass, huge panels of glass stretching across the surface to look like larger windows and the huge wooden door where I had entered through in my dreams. I continued to gaze up in fascination and disbelief at the house I had once thought was merely part of my imagination.

Angel ran round to my door in his vampire speed and opened it up. He unfastened my seatbelt and picked me up out of the car as if I were a small infant, though my eyes never left from the building before me. Angel chuckled as he placed me down on my feet, intertwining his hand with my own.

Faith had already keep through the wooden door and vanished into the house. Angel pulled me along, as I found my legs were unable to move at the present time, and gave me reassuring squeezes every once in a while. I took a deep breath before allowing myself to be dragged into the house.

It was exactly how I had dreamt it.

The room was painted a soft crème colour with four leather sofas and a massive plasma TV. The floor was wooden like the door, however the floor looked polished and resulted in being shinier. The room was almost wider than my whole house. I found it unreal how exact everything was to my dream.

'Buffy! What a pleasure to meet you,' said Tara.

Angel let go off my hand to allow Tara to give me a small hug. She stepped back and examined my face, the smile never leaving her out-of-this-world beauty. I blushed slightly and returned the smile. The one I knew as Spike stepped forward, which was Tara's queue to step back, and gave me a wide grin.

'Alright, nibblet? There's no reason to be _that _nervous,' Spike laughed.

A calm feeling washed over me, banishing every inch of nervousness I had previously possessed. A small smile unfolded over my face as I let the calm run through my body. I enjoyed the feeling and, judging by the smile of pride on his face, Spike was proud of his achievement in helping relax me.

'Hey Buffy,' said Riley, outstretching his hand.

I shook it and was surprised at how natural I found the icy temperature. He smiled warmly at me before taking back his hand and stepping back to fall in step with Cordelia.

Cordelia stood stiffly besides Riley, almost statue like, and glared at me. She didn't smile at me like the others, or outstretch her hand to shake mine, she just looked at me. I returned the gaze for a moment before dropping my eyes to the shiny floor, shoving my hands into my pockets.

'You don't have to,' growled Angel, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Cordelia shrugged and strutted out of the room without any last words. I guessed that Angel had read her mind and answered her unspoken words. Riley looked towards where his girlfriend vanished and then back at me, almost as if he were deciding where he should go, though he never moved from where he was stood.

'Nice to see you again, Buffy. How is your head?' asked Wesley, shaking my hand.

'It's good,' I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

He smiled at me with understanding. 'I presume you know why you're here,' he said.

I looked up at Angel, who shook his head, and turned back to Wesley.

'You see, Buffy, I don't know how to tell you this but –'

Faith grinned from besides me, unable to contain herself any longer. 'You have a supernatural power, B!'

Only one word uttered from my open mouth.

'What?'

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**Don't you love cliff-hangers? HAHA. I'm evil, but it's most likely that there will be an update tomorrow! I would like to wish Silverspoon and her children a Get Well Soon! As they have been ill. And I hope you all enjoyed this update. Let me know in your reviews on what power you think Buffy possess'? Thank you for all your reviews! x**


	19. Posession of Power

'I have a supernatural power?' I asked.

Before I could stop myself, tears of laughter strolled down my cheeks as I burst out into a fit of laughter. The remaining six looked slightly alarmed and watched me in my state of laughter. I couldn't explain why I was laughing so hard or why I had tears streaming down my face, and I already knew it wasn't because the calmness Spike was drowning me in. I just continued to laugh.

I finally quietened down when my throat began to hurt. I straightened up, as I hadn't realised that I was bending over and clutching my stomach, before turning back to the others. I had expected their beautiful faces to look impatient, though they looked amused. I guessed that my laugh must have sounded slightly odd or I had snorted during my weak moment. I looked up at Angel to find him smirking down at me. He bent down and pressed his icy lips to my forehead, leaving a fresh tingling on the skin even after he had removed his lips.

'So,' I said, looking around at the others, 'what power do I have? Can I fly? Become invisible? Super human breath?'

Wesley let out a small chuckle. I guessed that I was wrong and probably possessed the power to bore people to death or, judging by the amused smirks on everyone's faces, I had the power to make people laugh without even saying something funny.

'If you did have the power to become invisible, which you haven't by the way, then I would be seriously pissed off,' laughed Faith, patting me on the back.

I pouted. Invisibility had always been my favourite superpowers – in fact, if I ever got the chance then I would spend a full day invisible.

'You have this strength and speed which is slightly better than a regular humans,' said Wesley, glancing at Angel who nodded. 'But, compared to us, that power is nothing –'

I let out a loud groan. I hated being the weak human, especially as it gave Angel a reason to always worry about me and protect me as though I was a fragile piece of glass. I knew that we would never be equal; he would always be stronger than me and live forever, whilst I would only grow weaker and eventually die.

'That isn't the power he is talking about though, love,' Spike laughed.

I turned my full attention back to Wesley.

'You can see the past through your dreams.'

My eyes widened. I was surprised, though not as surprised as I should have been. It was since I met Angel and found out what he was that helped me believe anything was possible in this world. I was aware of all the supernatural energy that surrounded Sunnydale. My power explained my dreams. I had thought they were just dreams, although I should have known that they were something more because of how exact they were.

'It explains my dreams,' I murmured, still swarmed with thoughts.

Everyone nodded.

'We think that you got you're power because you are surrounded by a lot of supernatural energy,' said Riley, who had remained silent until now.

'You guys are the only supernatural energy I am surrounded by,' I replied, somewhat slightly confused.

The O'Conner's glanced at each other. They seemed to be talking to Angel through their thoughts, leaving me slightly out of the loop. I rolled my eyes and stayed quiet as they continued their secret communication through their minds. Tara stood besides me, wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and whispered a quiet apology to me.

'It is a habit of theirs, you see,' she said.

I nodded, feeling slightly more involved – even if I still couldn't hear what they were thinking.

'You see, B, we are not the only supernatural creatures in Sunnydale,' smiled Faith, pushing Angel out of the way and joining me on my other side. 'You are probably surrounded by lots of supernatural people – more than just us.'

I couldn't think of anyone else who seemed supernatural nor had any involvement in being supernatural. I knew they were probably more vampires out there, although I knew none of them – besides the O'Conner's – would probably be near enough to give off their supernatural energy. I knew that I would have to keep my eyes open from now on.

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After bidding a farewell to the O'Conner's, minus Cordelia who never returned from upstairs, Angel took my hand and hurried me out of the house. He seemed pleased that I had gotten along with his family, as they had found an interest in me and my human habits, but he didn't want me staying out too late without Mother knowing where I was.

He lifted me into his jeep and pressed a kiss to my cheek, before running in his inhuman speed around the other side. I fastened my seatbelt and ran my fingers through my now wet hair, ignoring the sound of rain thudding on the top of the roof. It wasn't long before we were driving away from his home. I noticed that he seemed to be going slower than usual, by now we would have been home if he drove his normal lunatic speed,

'You're going slowly tonight. I don't think there are any speed camera's for miles,' I laughed.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, before his face became serious once again. 'I just can't bare it when I have to leave you. It hurts when I say goodnight.'

'Me too,' I whispered, frowning sadly. 'It's come to where I can't even go a day without needing you.'

I felt his cold hand clutched on to mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. He rubbed his thumb over my skin, leaving behind a cold tingling feeling, which calmed me down rather quickly.

'Can I ask you something?' I said.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He nodded, giving my hand a small squeeze.

'Anything,' he replied.

I had been wondering this for a while now, though never found the right time to bring it up. And, somewhere deep down inside of me, I feared the answer.

'I don't understand why you like me. I'm just some silly human, there's nothin' special about me-'

'The way you hold out your heart for everyone to see. And I was – well, still am – afraid that it would be torn or bruised,' interrupted Angel, rubbing his thumb over my skin again. 'And more than anything in my life I wanted to keep it safe … to warm it with my own.'

I fought back the tears threatening to fall. The love I held for him was stronger than any feeling I had ever felt before. And that's when it hit me. I loved him. And my love for him was past the school-girl crush, I needed him in my life to continue living, I needed his presence to help me breathe. Without him, love and life would have no meaning at all.

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**Authors Note.**

**Hope no one minded the mega fluff. And I don't know why she has the power to see the past, but it just seemed to fit in with all her dreams. I'm sorry for hardly updating. But I hope you liked this update. Thank you so much for the reviews. You are legends! Lots of love x**


	20. The Future

I greeted my Mother, apologising for coming home so late and promising her that it wouldn't happen again, before going up into my room. I had been surprised that she hadn't nagged at me, throwing random questions at me on where I was, though she only told me that dinner was in the microwave if I wanted her to warm it up.

I threw open my door and shuffled inside.

I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket and pulled it out to see I had a new text message from Willow. It wasn't odd for Willow to text me, as she had become my best friend, though we usually rang each other. I guessed that she was with Oz and Parker as she asked me if I was still up for coming to the beach tomorrow.

'Shoot,' I muttered.

I had completely forgotten to ask Mother if I would be able to go. When I had lived with Dad in LA, I had to tell him where I was going and when I would be back as he was very strict. Being a police officer, he knew everything about the streets of LA and knew how dangerous they were. I frowned sadly as his face swam in my head. With moving to Sunnydale and meeting Angel, I had completely forgotten about the reason why I had come to this town. I felt a wave of guilt hit me as tears pooled in my eyes.

I quickly wiped them away, deciding to beat myself up about it some more later, and returned downstairs. Mother was sat in the sitting room, flicking through the television with a hot cup of coffee in her hand. I remembered that Giles was working late tonight, unlike my Mother, and wouldn't be home for a good hour or two.

'Mom,' I said, shuffling further inside to make my presence known. 'You know how much I love you, right?'

Mom chuckled and dropped the remote besides her, obviously giving up on finding anything decent to watch.

'What do you want?' she asked.

I rolled my eyes, wondering if there would ever come a time when I would tell her I love her and she wouldn't think I wanted something. 'Can I go to the beach tomorrow with Willow and the gang?'

A flash of worry struck her beautiful face, though it soon disappeared. 'You promise that you won't end up in the hospital again?' she frowned.

I remembered the last time I had gone out with Willow. It had resulted in me being followed by five men and falling off a curb, earning some butterfly stitches and a few days in hospital. I never wanted to repeat that experience as I _hated _hospitals with a fiery, yet rather scared, vengeance.

'I promise,' I smiled.

'Course you can,' Mother replied, returning my smile.

I bounced over and pressed a kiss to her forehead, whispering a thank you. She shrugged it off with a smile, took a sip off her coffee and began browsing through the television again. I returned upstairs and replied to Willow's text.

It wasn't long before we had sent about fifty texts to one another and come up with the plans. Oz would pick me and Willow up in his van, whilst Xander and Anya would get a ride with Parker. Apparently, as Willow had put it, Parker seemed pretty gutted that he wasn't able to give me a ride. I rolled my eyes, though couldn't help smiling slightly.

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I got changed into a pair of sweatpants and tank top, tied my hair up in a rough ponytail, and jumped into my warm bed. I snuggle down into my covers and dropped my head onto the pillow. My eyes turned to the window and I began to wait patiently.

It was half an hour before Angel showed up, looking as beautiful as ever, with a smile across his face. Using his inhuman speed, he was able to get inside and seated at the end of my bed before I could even blink. I rolled my eyes as he chuckled at my slow reaction.

'Beach tomorrow, huh?' he asked.

I couldn't remember if I had told him or not, though my expression must have showed this because he carried on anyway.

'Your Mom is pretty worried that she'll be visiting you in the hospital again,' Angel said, suddenly frowning.

I realised that he was obviously reading my Mother's thoughts, and promised myself to reassure Mother in the morning that I would be safe during my day at the beach. I looked back at Angel and noticed he was wearing a pained expression over his gorgeous face.

'What's wrong?' I asked.

I knew that I was going to be in any trouble then Faith would have seen it and warned him. I wondered if she had seen anything with me getting injured tomorrow.

'Has Faith seen me getting hurt?' I said, studying his gaze.

'No. It's just that … I can see your Mother's thoughts and she's thinking about when she saw you in the hospital,' Angel replied, pulling another face. 'It pains me to see you like that.'

I nodded, though I couldn't think of any way to respond.

'Do you ever think about the future?' he asked.

I thought about it for a moment. I was pretty sure that I would never ask Faith about my future unless she told me.

'No,' I said.

'Never?' questioned Angel, raising his eyebrow at me.

'No,' I repeated, shrugging my shoulders.

I couldn't understand why he seemed bothered by this. I knew that if something was going to happen then he would tell me or try to protect me in some way or another, it seemed unnecessary to worry about it if Faith was always one step ahead.

'You don't really care what happens a year from now? Five years from now?' Angel questioned, his eyes fixed on me.

He didn't understand that he was my future. Everything I dreamt about, that didn't involve my new power to see the past, was about him. I wished he would understand what he meant to me. I guess that there was only one way to make it sink in.

'Angel, when I look into the future, a-a … all I see is you!' I whispered, returning his gaze. 'All I want is you.'

He was now sat besides me, cradling me in his arms like a child. He rested his chin upon my head, continuing to rock me, and I could hear him breathe in my scent … or the scent of my blood.

'I know the feeling,' Angel whispered.

'You do?' I asked, slightly surprised at his answer – though I had no idea why.

Angel chuckled quietly. 'Buffy, I couldn't be able to continue living if you weren't in my life. Forever would be pointless to me without you.'

I snuggled into his firm chest, his icy skin cooling me slightly. I felt at peace in his arms, like I finally belonged somewhere. It was perfect how we fitted together as one. I found my eyes fluttering shut and then opening again a few seconds later. I was scared of falling asleep in case it was all a dream. I was scared of him disappearing.

'Sleep, my love, you need your rest,' Angel whispered, smoothing down my hair.

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**Authors Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! It means so much! I can't predict how long this fic shall be, though I have started on the sequel and wrote a few main chapters. This fic is all about exploring the love between them, so I apologise if you get bored! Also, I have at least TWO new Buffy fics that I have wrote up. One is a crossover with Twilight, another is a B/A goodness one. I am still boosting up the twilight/buffy one, though the B/A shall be out tonight. It is called 'Silent Tears' so see if you can spot it and give it a review! Thanks. Lots of love, Beth x**


	21. Keep Safe

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly empty. There were no cold arms wrapped around me, only a warm blanket that he had lay over me. It had been the first time that I had slept so peacefully. Not once throughout my sleep did I have an odd or disturbing dream and, even though I was snuggled into a vampire's ice cold chest, I had felt a warmth spread through my body. Though, the warmth had drained out of me when I realised he wasn't there. I began to wonder how long he had stayed when my eyes fell on the sheet of paper on my bedside cabinet.

_Buffy,_

_I'm sorry for not being there when you woke up, however I couldn't risk your Mother walking in. She had a restless sleep, dreaming about accidents that you could get yourself into at the beach, so be nice to her. Also, for the sake of my heart, please don't let trouble find you. I don't know if mine, or your mother's, heart could cope with seeing you hurt again. I shall return tonight. _

_Keep safe._

_Always,_

_Angel. _

I rolled my eyes before tucking the paper under my pillow, hoping that my Mother would never find it. I felt much more welcoming to the day now; knowing that Angel would return at night had boosted my spirits. And now I knew it definitely wasn't a dream when I had fallen asleep in his hard embrace. I never understood why I always expected to wake up and find out it was all just a dream, though if it was a dream then I wanted it to last forever as I had fallen too in love with Angel to ever wake up.

There was a knock at my door.

I quickly jumped up and shuffled over to the door, glancing back to check that the paper was completely hidden from anyone's view. I knew it would be my Mother, as I knew Giles wouldn't need to speak to me this early in the morning. I opened the door to be greeted by Mother's exhausted face.

Angel was right; Mother looked like she had hardly slept last night. Huge bags hung beneath her eyes, her hair was rather wild with a thin layer of grease, her skin looked rather unhealthy and sleep pooled in the corner of her dull eyes. I immediately felt a rush of guilt and sympathy; guilt for being the one who had sparked all her worries, sympathy for the lack of sleep she had and how it had obviously affected her.

'Morning honey,' she smiled.

'Morning,' I replied, giving her a hug.

She seemed taken back by my gesture, though still rested her head upon my head and wrapped her arms around my waist. You were never too old to give your Mother a hug.

I breathed in her vanilla scent. She had become an important part of my life throughout the last few weeks and I found myself wondering how I had managed most of my life without her. I had spoken to her most of the time on the phone whilst I lived in LA, though it was nothing compared to seeing her in the flesh. Father had helped me in so many ways possible, forming me into the woman I was today, though, even if I hadn't noticed it then, I had needed my Mother's love to complete me fully.

'You feel like breakfast?' Mother asked, letting her arms drop.

I nodded enthusiastically. 'Pancakes?'

Mother chuckled, giving a small nod of her head, and disappeared down the hall, her dressing gown wavering behind her.

I returned into my room, pulled on my slippers and followed Mother downstairs. I could hear her humming to herself as she cooked our breakfast. It was a soft melody, one that I didn't know, and I found it rather relaxing. I took a seat at the table, leaning back in my chair as I watched Mother. She placed a glass of milk in front of me before turning back to the oven.

'How are you getting to the beach?' Mother said, keeping her back to me.

'Willow is picking me up,' I replied, taking a sip of the milk.

'Keep safe,' Mother said.

I rolled my eyes. I had already been told the exact same thing from Angel on the letter.

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After gobbling up my breakfast a little too enthusiastically, explaining my plans of the day to Giles and washing up my plate, I returned upstairs to get ready for the day. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. As I walked back to my room, I realized that I hadn't looked out of the window once to see what the weather was like. I closed the door behind me and looked towards the window, glad to see that a stroke of sun was shining through the curtains.

I walked over to my wardrobe and pulled out the clothes that I would be wearing. I chose a tank top and a pair of sweatpants, as I knew that I would mostly being lying in the sun with my bikini on, and then pulled out an emerald bikini that would surely bring out the colour in my eyes. I deposited my pyjamas, throwing them into the growing pile in the corner of my room, and pulled the bikini on before pulling on the clothes over the top. I knelt down and pulled out a pair of flip flops that I had shoved under my bed, before rising to my feet again. Grabbing my bag, I shoved in a hair brush and towel along with sunscreen, as I knew my Mother would let me go nowhere without it.

'Buffy!' Mother called.

I knew that Willow and Oz had arrived. Hopefully Mother would invite them in, as Mothers had a tendency to want to know every single friend that their child was involved with, and get to know them as well as I had. Mother had never met any of my friends before, she had never been able to see the type of people who I had befriended, so I knew it would be a nice experience for her to do the usual things that Mothers did.

I grabbed my sunglasses and dropped them on the top of my head. Picking up my bag, I quickly sneaked one last glance in the mirror before running out of my room. I didn't intend to leave Mother with Willow or Oz for too long, just long enough for her to see a glimpse of the loving people they were. Friends, along with family, sometimes determined the choice of character you were. My old friends, back in LA, had a bad effect on me and turned me into someone I had never dreamt of becoming. After a heart-to-heart with Father, who was slightly disgusted by my behaviour, and a good look in the mirror, I decided that true friends would never let you turn into the wrong type of character.

I took the stairs two at a time, suddenly possessing a sudden eagerness to see my friends. I wished that Angel was able to join us, to lie in the sun with me, but I knew he couldn't and would never be able to. A frown graced my lips, though it immediately vanished when I saw Willow and Oz's smiling faces.

'Hey!' I greeted.

Oz gave me a nod of the head, a warm smile still plastered over his face, whilst Willow gave me a quick hug. She took a step back, looking much more excited than I had ever seen her before. Mother took a place by my side, smiling at Willow and Oz. I breathed a sigh of relief; I knew that she had accepted Willow and Oz as the good friends they were.

'Have a nice time honey,' said Mother, giving me a hug round the shoulders.

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**Authors Note:**

**Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! It means so much to me! This chapter was a little difficult to write, I had writer blocks for most of it, and I understand that it is boring. Though, despite that, I would LOVE if you all reviewed! Even those who had added it to alerts and never reviewed before, maybe leave me a one or two word review? Thanks a lot. Lots of love. x**


	22. Truth or Lies?

I closed my eyes and let the warmth of the sun wash over me. I felt a sudden spur of happiness, one that only the sun was able to provide me with. It had been a while since I had lay on a beach, the sand sinking between my toes, the sun shining down upon me. It almost felt like I was still in LA, finding refuge on the beach when I wanted to get away from my troubles. However, Angel's handsome face hovered before me and LA was completely pushed from my mind.

I could hear Willow's soft laughter. The last time I had opened my eyes she and Oz had been throwing sand at one another, looking like a pair of five years olds, and were being watched by disapproving parents. I thought it was obvious that Willow and Oz had more sense than younger children and would aim the sand away from their faces. Obviously the parents didn't agree.

'Jonathan! Don't you _dare _throw sand at your brother's face again!' shouted a woman who sounded close by.

I would have rolled my eyes if they had been open, though I left them shut and tried to block out the angry Mother's voice. I guessed that Willow and Oz had given up on their sand fight because I heard Oz sigh as he dropped besides me. I opened my eyes and glanced on either side.

Willow lay on her stomach, as I knew she disliked showing off her bare belly, with her face pressed into her towel. Her legs hung off the towel and her toes dug into the sand, disappearing into the golden grains. Her skin was rather pale, though not as pale as Angel's, yet it clashed well with her silver bikini.

Oz lay on his back, gazing up at the beautiful light shade of blue sky, with his hands placed behind his head. A pair of sunglasses rested upon the top of his head. He wore bright orange trunks that matched the colour of his hair. A smile tugged at my lips as I wondered how much Willow had bribed him with to wear them today.

'Hey!'

I turned my attention from Oz's trunks to Parker, who was closely followed by Xander and Anya.

'Hey,' I smiled, watching as he dropped his towel besides me and took a seat.

He was wearing black trunks, like Xander - who had greeted us all before being dragged to the sea by Anya, showing off his bare tanned chest. I was surprised at how toned Parker was! I had never seen his chest before, or even his muscles, mainly because he wore t-shirts that didn't cling to him like most of the other boys wore at our school. And his skin had a fresh dark tan like he had visited the sun for a few weeks. I immediately began to wonder how funny it would be to stand Angel and Parker next to each other, comparing Angel's white-as-snow skin and Parker's deeply tanned skin.

'I'm glad you come,' said Parker, flashing me a smile.

'Me too.'

I remembered how long ago it had been when Parker first asked me to go to the beach. However, my accident had delayed our plans and, before I knew it, my whole world had been wrapped up in Angel.

'I feel like I hardly see you anymore,' frowned Parker, his eyes falling from mine.

I mimicked his frown. I realised I had been spending most of my time with Angel now, though I thought I had been sharing the same amount of time with my other friends. I decided to share an equal amount of time between them, even if spending less time with Angel devastated me.

'You're always with the Cold One,' he added.

'Don't call him that,' I said automatically, a hint of anger in my voice.

It hadn't been the name that had angered me, as it was hardly offensive, just his tone that sounded disapproving and disgusted. I hated how he spoke about Angel like he was beneath him, like Parker was better than Angel.

'I thought you didn't believe in those legends,' I muttered, gazing up at the sky.

'Never said I did, never said I didn't,' Parker mumbled, his voice now sounded irritated.

I remembered when Willow told me that Parker had a crush on me. I wondered if he was just plain jealous that I was more interested in Angel than him. Parker was a good-looking boy. In fact, if Angel never wandered into my life, I would off probably give Parker another look. I bet it was irritating to see all the girls swoon over the mysterious Angel O'Conner, who didn't ever look twice at any girls, whilst he got ignored.

'Well, do you or don't you?' I said.

Parker sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. 'Listen, I know what goes on in this town. I know what the made-up crap is and I know how much of it is real.'

I glanced over at him. He was lain down on his towel; his hands covered his face as his muscled chest absorbed the sunlight. I wondered how much he did know about the town and how much he _thought _he knew. Even if he had been the one to tell me about the supposedly legends of Sunnydale and the Hell Mouth, maybe it wasn't all actually true. Sure, the Vampires part was true. But, did he know that? For all he could know, the legends were all wrong and he only knew the lies of the town that he thought were real.

'Sorry,' Parker apologised, dropping his hands from his face. 'I didn't mean to be all bitter – it wasn't cool of me. It's just a touchy subject with me. All this Hell Mouth business.'

'It's alright,' I replied.

We sat in silence, both of us deep within our own thoughts. We had been so wrapped up in our heated discussion that we hadn't noticed Willow and Oz join Xander and Anya down by the sea. The four were splashing each other, looking like a bunch of young kids that were allowed to go in the sea without being accompanied by their parents for the first time. I grinned as I watched Xander rugby tackle Willow into the water.

'Shall we go and join them?' said Parker, the playful tone back into his voice.

I completely forgot about our argument as I took the hand he offered, running down to the sea with him and joining in with all the splashing. I hadn't had this much fun in a while. It felt nice to be free like this.

**------------------**

I stood in the shower, letting the warm water pour over my body, whilst wrinkling my nose at the strong scent of salt water in my hair. I had decided to grab a shower in case Angel kept his promise and returned to night. I didn't want him to breathe in my horrible salty scent as I worried that it would surely put him off me for good. It was bad enough that I was scared he would disappear anyway, worrying that he could just be a figure of my imagination or some amazing dream that I was doomed to wake up from.

My thoughts soon strayed to Parker and the legends of Sunnydale. I was 100% positive that at least one part of the legend was true – Vampires did exist. Though I couldn't get my head around the fact that there were supposed to be werewolves, witches and demons running around as well. It didn't seem totally wacky, especially since I learnt the truth about the O'Conner's, but Parker was unwilling to tell me how much of the legends were true.

Suddenly, Faith's words came back to me.

'_You see, B, we are not the only supernatural creatures in Sunnydale,' smiled Faith, pushing Angel out of the way and joining me on my other side. 'You are probably surrounded by lots of supernatural people – more than just us.'_

Ok. So, maybe the Legend had more truth to it than I previously thought. Maybe Parker did actually know how much of it was real and how much of it was lies. And I wondered if anyone would ever tell me the truth.

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**Authors Note:**

**I know – you're probably thinking "What the hell! That made no sense!" But I'm rather ill and tired. My laptop had been taken off me for a week and I only got it back a few days ago. This chapter is about Buffy trying to figure out how much of the Hell Mouth legend is real. She thought that Parker could have just been reaching too much into it. **

**Reviews are appreciated!**

**Thanks for every single review – it means so much. Especially thanks to Yummy0o0 who gave this story another chance!**

**Thanks again! x**


	23. A Couple!

I sat downstairs with Mom and Giles, deciding to spend some time with them before turning in for the night. They seemed glad that I had decided to spend time with them; they both asked questions about my day at the beach and pried for information on my friends. I answered every question honestly, telling them everything about my small group of friends – which resulted in Mom asking me to invite them round some time – though she never asked about the O'Conner's. Obviously, as Angel had only given me one school ride so far, Mom had probably thought that it was a one time thing. I was glad to know that she didn't suspect anything. How would I explain the fact that Angel spent most nights upstairs, in my room, with me?

'_Oh yeah, Mom, me and Angel has this like special bond where we can't be without one another. He stays in my room at night. Oh yeah! How did I forget to mention that he is a "vegetarian" vampire who can never sleep. So, technically, we can never "sleep" together – bet you're relieved!?'_

I laughed under my breath at the thought of ever saying those words out loud.

After I had had enough of watching the boringness that Mom and Giles called television, I made my way upstairs, having no real desire of falling asleep.

I opened up the door to a dark and empty room. I sighed as my eyes scanned the room, realising that he wasn't here like he promised. I felt disappointment surge through my veins. I hadn't realised how dependant I had become on seeing his face to help me sleep soundly through the night. I hadn't realised how I needed him like I needed oxygen.

I spun around to turn on the light, suddenly realising that I was stood in the dark. When I turned back around, I noticed the handsome vampire sprawled out across my bed.

'I'm not easily spooked,' I chuckled, smiling as the confusion swept upon his face.

'I should have expected that,' he replied.

I bounced over to the bed and literally jumped into his arms, breathing in his beautiful scent. I felt his iron-clad arms wrap around my waist as he sat up on my bed, resting his chin upon the top of my head. I felt grateful to back into his arms. The day, even though I had enjoyed it, seemed to drag on without him and I had found myself feeling almost naked without being in his embrace, almost as if part of me was missing.

'I missed you today,' I mumbled into his chest, taking another sniff of his shirt. 'I can't handle the normal world for _too_ long.'

His arms stiffened around me instantly.

'Hey, calm down,' I whispered.

I tried to wriggle out of his embrace to get a better look at his face. Though, his arms were wrapped tight around my waist. Too tight. I continued to wriggle around, letting out a huff now and again, until his embrace slowly relaxed and I was able to pull myself out of his arms. However, by the time I got the chance to look at his face, his handsome face looked totally at peace, his eyes lacking the strain I had imagined.

'I'm fine,' Angel breathed.

'Yeah, the death grip would say different,' I retorted, staring at him.

'I'm sorry,' Angel murmured.

He pulled me onto his lap and cradled me into his arms, stroking down my hair.

'How was your day?' I said, not even having to fake the interest.

I felt him shrug his shoulders. Usually I would be uninterested as to what someone had spent the full day doing, mainly because humans did the same routine every day, nothing was ever new when it came to humanity, though I wondered how a vampire, who was unable to go out into the sun, would waste away the day.

'Painfully long,' Angel replied.

I nodded. 'I know the feeling.'

We both sat in silence. Angel played with my hair, occasionally taking a piece to his nose and breathing in my scent, whilst I kept quiet in his arms, rubbing my thumb along his marble skin. I enjoyed the tingle that shot through my body every time my skin touched his. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

The conversation with Parker suddenly flooded my mind. I wondered if Angel would be willing to tell me the truth, or at least more than Parker had shared.

'Angel, I want to ask you something' I said, lifting myself up out of his embrace.

'Sure,' he answered, sitting up against the headboard. 'What do you want to know?'

I sat opposite him, my arms and legs crossed, as I watched the seriousness crossed his face, turning it into a hard mask. He looked like he was secretly brooding.

'How much of the Hell Mouth legend is real?' I asked.

'What do you know already?' Angel replied, the firm mask still evident over his face.

I retracted the conversation I had with Parker back in the hospital; lay in the uncomfortable hospital bed. I could hear his words still clear in my head, as if he was stood right next to me.

'That Sunnydale is the home of the supernatural; vampires, witches, demons, werewolves all live here; supernatural energy lives beneath the surface … yada, yada, yada…'

Angel rolled his eyes, a small smile breaking out across his face for a few moments, though his face soon hardened once again. I watched him as his beautiful face differed between emotions. I sat quietly, deciding not to interrupt him, and waited, twiddling my thumbs. I felt sleep washing over me, dragging me beneath its surface, though I didn't want to fall asleep just yet. I needed to know everything I could about the Hell Mouth; I wanted to know the difference between the legends and the truth. However, before I could even receive an answer from Angel, sleep had already wrapped me in its waiting arms, dragging me under.

**---------**

I awoke the next morning, still in my previous day clothes, with my covers wrapped around me. My hair was knotted all over my face, my knees were curled up into my chest, and I could feel myself sweating in the jumper I had spent all night in. I groaned as I sat up, pushing my hair out of my face. I felt disgusting and sweaty, and I wondered if I would be able to jump into the shower before school.

I jumped up, sprinted out of my room and into the bathroom before anyone else could claim it.

Twenty minutes later, after Mom had insisted she needed to use the bathroom, I jumped out of the shower, dried my hair and thrown on the first clothes I found in my overcrowded wardrobe. The jeans were slightly tight, showing off the curves that I adored, though I didn't have time to change them, whilst a casual white tank top joined them. I grabbed my black leather jacket off the side, tied my wavy hair quickly into a ponytail, and rushed out of the door, picking up my school bag on the way.

'See ya!' I shouted back to Mom as I ran down the stairs.

I heard her call back, though I was unable to make out the words spoken.

I ran out of the door, slamming it shut behind me, and looked down the street, trying to calculate if I would be able to arrive to school on time if I ran. However, as I reached the end of the path, a huge black jeep pulled up besides me. I mentally thanked God.

'Need a ride?' laughed Angel, who had rolled down the passenger window.

'Of course not!' I said, faking shock over my face, 'I have inhuman speed that can get me there faster than your car.'

'Ok then, meet you there,' grinned Angel, winding the window up.

I rolled my eyes and threw open the door, climbing up into the car. To me, being the small human I was, I could compare climbing into his car like climbing Everest. I fastened my seat belt and dropped my bag between my knees. I felt Angel press his icy lips to the top of my head, which I knew he was doing to secretly take a sniff of my shampooed hair.

'Hey B!'

I spun around to see Faith and Spike sat in the back of the Jeep, smirking knowingly, with their hands intertwined. The couple were wearing their usual black clothes; Faith wearing black leather pants, Spike wearing black combats, and both of them wearing a leather jacket, similar to the one that was cradled in my arms.

'Alright, Nibblet?' smiled Spike.

I nodded.

I found myself much more comfortable all of the sudden. I realised that Spike would be using his emotional powers over me. I would have felt comfortable without Spikes interference – there was only one O'Conner who I usually felt uncomfortable around, and she wasn't present at this moment in time. Spike and Faith seemed to like me, they didn't act like they held a huge grudge against me, and they had been quite warm towards me so far.

'Faith couldn't help but tag along seen as she _saw _how late you were going to be,' said Angel, answering my unspoken question.

'And the little bugger couldn't help but drag me as well,' added Spike.

His laugh was like music to my ears.

I didn't need to ask where the other O'Conner's were. Cordelia, if she could, would rather die then ride in the same car as me. I knew that if Cordelia refused to be in my presence, then, no matter how kind Riley was, he would follow his wife. I couldn't blame him; why should he turn his back on his wife for a human who he didn't need to bother with? I just wondered what I had done to make Cordelia despise me so much.

A low growl cut through the silence. I thought it had been one of the vampires growling, though I was wrong.

'Sorry!' apologised Spike, patting his stomach. 'Her smell is very appealing.'

This time the growl came from Angel's mouth. He flashed Spike a dangerous look in the rear view mirror, warning him not to push his luck.

'Strawberry shampoo,' I smiled, attempting to break the awkwardness that had overwhelmed the atmosphere.

I guessed that it wasn't my poor attempt at a joke that calmed everyone, most likely it was Spike that had made Angel relax. His shoulders slumped slightly, his left hand relaxed on the steering wheel as his other rushed through his brown hair.

We pulled up in the school parking lot, in the O'Conner's usual parking space, and got out of the car. Faith and Spike were first out; they said their goodbyes and headed off in the opposite direction. Angel had insisted in getting me out of the Jeep, as I was like an ant compared to the huge car, though I refused and wanted to prove that I was capable of getting out of a car.

I jumped out of the car, landing firmly on my feet and looked around. I saw Cordelia's eye bore into me, glaring at me with a sharp darkness in her golden eyes. The look intimidated me. Riley took her hand and pulled her away from the red convertible, heading in the same direction as Faith and Spike had disappeared, although not before throwing me an apologetic look over his shoulder.

I pulled on my leather jacket, shivering against the cold bite in the air, and pulled my bag over my shoulder. Angel was beside me in seconds, his arm wrapped around my waist. I looked up to find him glaring in Cordelia's direction; an angered gleam welled up in his beautiful eyes. Though, before I was able to ask him about what Cordelia was probably thinking, a smile broke out across his face.

'What?' I questioned. I was surprised by how quick his moods changed.

'Everyone is watching us,' he whispered, pulling me by my waist towards the school. 'I can see us in nearly everyone's minds.'

'Why?'

'The girls are jealous and shocked,' replied Angel, rolling his eyes.

I looked down at my feet. I always knew that he was too good for me, that we could never be equal. Me being the plain human, him being the godly beauty.

'And the boys are angry and are thinking up ways to break us up,' laughed Angel.

Break us up?

My heart skipped a beat.

To be able to break us up, we must be a couple.

The smile never faded from my face.

**------------**

**Thanks so much everyone for the reviews! It means so much to me! I'm starting to write longer chapters now, so they are taking more time! PLEASE, PLEASE – leave reviews! It cheers me up so much when you leave one! Thanks! x**


	24. Reactions To Our Love

I walked towards registration, holding onto Angel's hand like my life depended on it. The coldness of his hands barely bothered me anymore; it felt ordinary – like everyone's hands felt like they had been frozen in the freezer. I noticed how everyone's eyes travelled over us, shock evident on their faces, before focusing on our joint hands. I heard people whispering, although I was unable to define the words that were being spoken. I looked up at Angel and noticed he was smirking. I soon realised that, whispering or not, he would be able to hear _everything. _I made a mental note to ask him later.

Finally, we reached the classroom. I felt a surge of emptiness pain me as he let go off my hand. I realised that I would be separated from him for the full day, besides lunch, and that seemed nearly impossible. My face must have twisted into a weak, pained face as Angel bent down and pressed his icy lips to my forehead.

Suddenly his lips vanished from my forehead, a low snarl emerging from his lips. I looked around. The remaining students on the corridor didn't seem to notice Angel's little outburst. Angel straightened up, still looking rather irritated, and glanced behind me. Before I could question him on his behaviour, he pressed another kiss to my forehead and walked off.

_How odd, _I thought.

I turned around to see Parker walking up towards me, mirroring Angel's irritated expression, with his eyes focused on where Angel had left. I guessed that Angel's snarl was related to Parker's entrance. Parker was drawing closer; the irritation had been replaced with a huge grin on his face.

'Hey!' he greeted.

'Hey!' I said, returning his smile.

We fell into an awkward silence. I gazed around, rocking back and forth on my heels, trying to find anything but Parker to look at. Sure, I had had fun at the beach with him and others – despite our little argument – but I just had a feeling that there was something between him and Angel. Neither showed any manners towards each other, they always seemed irritated at the mention of one another, and yet I had never seen either of them properly interact. It was a strange world.

I continued to look around, pretending to find something interesting in the dull yellow walls. I could feel Parker's eyes watching me. I knew that I should just excuse myself and go to registration, though there was something that had me staying in his presence. It was like my feet were glued to the floor. As if some invisible force was keeping me there.

'Settle down, class!' I heard Mr Murphy shout.

The force weakened, only for a slight moment, though it was long enough for me to shuffle my feet. Mr Murphy's words had snapped me back into reality.

'I better go,' I said, finally meeting Parker's eyes. 'Wouldn't want to be late, huh?'

Before I could give him time to reply, I threw open the door, as casually as I could muster, and rushed inside. I walked over to my desk and took a seat, dropping my bag besides me. I was aware of the curious glances watching me. I knew that it would take only first period until everyone knew about 'Buffy Summers and Angel O'Conner are an _official_ _couple."_

**----**

Luckily I was able to get through the day by daydreaming. I found that the less attention I paid to the time, the quicker it passed. It was only at the end of every lesson that I would gather up my things and realize that I hadn't wrote any notes throughout the lesson. Thankfully Willow was a life saver. She had recorded everything down in her notebook and offered to let me copy them. Willow had been cheery all day, ever since she had heard about me and Angel, and had squealed in the corridor as soon as she heard. She wrapped me in a big hug and congratulated me. I realised how dramatic us girls could be – I had only started going out with him, yet Willow was squealing as if Angel had proposed.

Guys, on the other hand, did not have the same response to mine and Angel's relationship.

Xander had stiffened in Maths when he heard. His eyes jumped to mine with a look like he would beg for me to be joking. He seemed to hold a grudge throughout the rest of the lesson, barely speaking a word to me. I never thought Xander had a problem with Angel, though I guess I was wrong. However, his mood brightened throughout the day. He took me back with open arms, promising that he would support me throughout anything.

Oz smiled and congratulated me. His reaction was in between Willow's squealing happiness and Xander's disapproval – Oz was neutral. I admired Oz for that. He was laid back and, as long as his loved ones were happy, then he was. He seemed to approve of everyone's decisions, always finding ways to cheer up the mood. I knew that Willow had found herself a keeper.

Parker seemed to avoid me throughout the day. I saw him in classes, although he never looked in my direction, and always planned to talk to him when the lesson was over. However, before I could even get out of my seat, Parker was out of the door and down the corridor to his next class. Even when we had a different lesson, I never saw him in the corridors. He seemed to dodge me everywhere. I was confused as to what had brought this behaviour on. This morning he had been all smiles when he saw me, then he started dodging me. I guessed that he had been unaware of me and Angel this morning, or maybe it had only just sunken in. Whatever it was, I would have to talk to him.

I was grateful when the bell rang for lunch. I had decided to speak with Parker, get to the bottom of his – for lack of a better word – girly behaviour. I scooped up my things, said my goodbyes to some of the people I shared the Media class with, and hurried towards the door, not wanting to get caught in the herd of eager students. I threw open the door and rushed out.

'Hey.'

I would know the wind-chime voice anywhere. Even if I was deaf, I would know that voice in the deepest part of my brain.

I spun around to be greeted by his dazzling smile. My heart nearly failed right there.

'What?' he grinned, as he held out his hand.

'I wish you would remember I'm human,' I smirked, pulling my bag over my shoulder. 'Smiles like that could blind and/or give me heart failure.'

This didn't amuse him as much as it amused me. Jeesh, weren't vampires allowed a sense of humour?

'Wait, I have to go and find Parker!' I said, remembering my plans for lunch.

Angel looked down. I could tell automatically that he knew something I didn't – it was written all over his beautiful face. I didn't notice that he was leading me over to the dinner queue. I didn't say anything whilst he piled food on a dinner tray, I just kept my eyes on his face as he continued to upload everything onto the tray. Finally, when he passed over the money for the food, I glanced down and realised how much he had gotten. I hoped he realised that I would be unable to eat all that and it would most certainly go to waste. He pulled me over to a table, away from his family and my friends, and sat me down, taking a seat opposite me. He pushed the tray towards me, taking a bottle and placing it in front of him. I guessed that he had to keep up his human façade.

I pulled a can of Diet Coke towards me.

'Where's Parker?' I asked.

'He went home,' Angel replied.

I took a swig of the coke, thinking about his reply. I swallowed and pulled over an apple, taking a chunk out of it. I ate it slowly as I pondered over the possibilities on why Parker had gone home. Why would he have just gone home? Surely he would be able to stand a few more hours being in the same building as me.

'Why?' I questioned.

'He thinks the same as I do,' Angel sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.

I waited for him to continue. He didn't though.

'Erm, Angel? I can't read minds, you have to tell me,' I smiled.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. My heart skipped a beat.

'He thinks I'm no good for you, that you deserve better,' Angel frowned, pretending to take a swig of his drink.

Silence.

'And he's right.'

I almost choked on the piece of apple I was eating.

'What?' I gasped, shaking my head furiously. 'No! .Wrong!'

Angel shook his head. 'He's right, Buffy. You are better-'

'No!' I said.

I noticed eyes from all various tables look towards our table. Some people looked back, others continued to watch in curiosity.

I suddenly felt calm and relaxed. All the muscles in my body relaxed. My deep breathing slowed. I didn't feel any anger at all. I spun around in my seat and glared at Spike, who laughed and gave me a quick wave. Although, I found that I was unable to get angry at Spike, even though I wanted to rip his boulder of a head off.

'He's wrong,' I repeated, calmer this time.

Angel opened his mouth, about to comment back, but I pressed my finger against his lips.

'I don't want to hear no more on this subject,' I said.

There must have been something in my tone, though it couldn't have been scary enough to scare a vampire, but Angel didn't press anymore on the subject.

**----------**

'Ok, what is he thinking?' I asked.

I pointed over to a tall, blonde guy, who had beautiful blue eyes, and was staring our way. His eyes seemed to waver between us, giving us both looks up and down.

'He's trying to figure out whose better looking,' Angel whispered, trying to keep his face straight.

I snorted in laughter, casting a look over my shoulder at the guy. He seemed to have turned his attention to another pair who was walking to their cars. I couldn't help but laugh louder when he looked at me again. He didn't seem embarrassed that I was looking at him and laughing, he just winked at me. I heard Angel growl besides me.

'What?' I said.

'He's decided your hotter-'

'Jealous?' I grinned.

'No,' blurted out Angel, rolling his eyes. 'You have no idea off the inappropriate thoughts going through his mind.'

'Ew,' I mumbled.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Angel laughed at my expression as he opened the passenger side of his Jeep for me, giving me room to climb inside myself without assistance. We waited for a few minutes, me asking him about various peoples thoughts – though I finally quit asking him when he told me about how Anya had been constantly re-playing herself and Xander having sex in the storage cupboard in third period, when Faith and Spike finally joined us.

'Oh god,' muttered Spike, pulling a disgusted face. 'Why does everyone feel _so _grossed out?'

Me and Angel swapped looks, finally bursting out into a fit of laughter moments later. For a slight moment, I forgot that I was sat in a car full of vampires and not humans. Everything felt normal.

_Pfft, _I thought. _Normal? I wish. This place is on a supernatural energy force, for crying out loud!_

_**----**_

**Authors Note:**

**Thank you to everyone for reviewing. Your reviews make my day complete. And I'm so grateful that so many of you take your time to review this story! How rude of me – I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Easter in the post before! I hope you've all had a nice Easter holiday – and if you don't celebrate Easter, then I hope you had a nice weekend! Thanks again! x**


	25. Bad Dreams and Meeting the Parent

_Parker walked into class. His face looked relaxed and calm as he took his seat, dropping his bag on the floor besides him. He ran his hand through his black hair. The class slowly filled up, students taking their seats. Parker pulled out his books, skimming through their pages, looking rather disinterested, when his whole body suddenly froze. He closed the book and leant back on his chair, cocking his head to the side. Two girls were sat behind him, one blonde, the other brunette - both rather pretty, though it seemed to be their conversation Parker was taking notice of. _

'_I know! He's never took notice of any girls before,' sighed the blonde, her brows furrowing. _

_The brunette nodded in agreement, letting out her own sigh. 'I wonder what he sees in her.'_

_Parker's eyes seemed to narrow. _

'_I know!' gasped the blonde. _

_She looked around, making sure that her outburst hadn't captured anyone's attention. Her eyes swept over Parker, though he was back to skipping through his book, before she turned back to her friend. _

'_It can't be her looks. I mean, come on! What does Buffy Summers have that I don't?' muttered the blonde bitterly._

_The brunette nodded eagerly, a little too quickly. 'I know, like, you're so totally prettier than her!'_

_Parker rolled his eyes, continuing to flip through his book, though not actually showing any interest to the words on the page. He let out a sigh and looked at his watch, obviously trying to not look too suspicious. _

'_Angel O'Conner and Buffy Summers. Buffy Summers and Angel O'Conner. It just doesn't sound right!'_

'_I know! Give it a few days and he'll dump her. He'll hopefully realise that she ain't even pretty,' huffed the brunette. _

_Parker's eyes widened, his hands clenched up into a tight iron-clad fist, his whole body shook angrily. His playful eyes darkened immediately there was no sign of the happy Parker everyone knew. Everything deepened and darkened. _

I woke up with a gasp. I tried to push back my covers, finding that I was tangled up tightly in their wrath. I wriggled, tossed and turned, before finally I was able to throw them off and get to my feet. I didn't know what to say, how to feel, nothing made sense. The look on Parker's face, the furious glare burning in his unrecognizable eyes. It was the one time that I had been truly scared of anyone. The look had so much depth. I couldn't shake his face out of my head; it seemed to stay front and centre. I couldn't hide from it. I couldn't even find myself to be angry at the two girls, who I recognized from my Gym class, who had been slating my looks.

The dream explained everything. Why Parker had left, why he had avoided me, why he had pretended I didn't exist. I had gotten the answers to my questions, though I didn't know if I was relieved or frightened. Parker had found out about me and Angel off two random girls, not me – his meant to be friend. I felt a surge of guilt wash over me. It was always better to hear something off a loved one, not a total stranger. Who wanted to be informed on something in their lives by someone who had no real importance to them? I hated knowing that I had caused Parker such anger and sadness. Even though his dark looked still frightened me, I couldn't help feel responsible.

'Buffy?'

I was cradled in Angel's arms before I could even look up to register his presence. He smoothed down my hair, trying to control the shaking that had erupted from my small frame. I didn't notice that Angel was helping me back over to my bed. I sat down, still cradled in his lap, as I tried to control myself.

'H-how?' I was incapable of finishing my sentence, my head was spinning.

'Faith,' he replied simply.

'Obviously,' I breathed.

I found that I was easily calmed in his presence; he was able to calm me as powerfully as Spike, yet without having the actual power. His arms around me were enough to rope me in and keep me safe. I turned my head, pressing my nose into his shirt, and let the scent wash over me, calm me. Angel sat in silence, letting me calm myself before he began with the questions. Finally, breathing normally again, I looked up into his brown orbs.

'It was Parker. He was so angry, his face looked-'

I shuddered.

'Hey, it's alright – I won't let anything happen to you,' soothed Angel, rubbing my back.

I hadn't realised how warm I was until I felt his hand press against my back. I shivered under his touch – I could feel the electricity pulsing through me. I took a deep breath.

'I'm not worried about me. I'm sat here with a vampire, alone in my room at night, why would I be scared of a human? The worst he could do is throw a football at my head, right?' I laughed.

Angel's lips stretched into a long thin line, his eyes narrowed, though, before I was able to comment, he began smiling.

'I'm more scared of hurting him, - me getting hurt means nothing,' I sighed, returning back to the serious side of the conversation.

The smile disappeared off his face, and it didn't return this time. In fact, more than anything, he looked rather angry. I looked up at him and folded my arms over my chest, glaring back at him. We both sat there, staring at each other, in the early hours of the morning, me in my pyjamas and looking dishevelled, whilst Angel was fully clothed and looked wide awake. We continued to stare at each other, until Angel finally looked away. When he looked back, it was obvious he was brooding.

'You're brooding,' I said.

'I am not.'

'Yes you are!'

'No, I am not!'

'Ok, _course _you're not,' I mumbled, getting off of his lap.

That did it. His face softened instantly and he reached out, grabbing me gently around the wrist. I couldn't help but smirk – Angel was wrapped around my little finger. I sighed and let myself fall back into his lap, burying my face in his shirt to hide my smile. He began stroking my hair, probably thinking that he had upset me.

'You getting hurt means _everything. _How would I be able to live without you? How would I be able to contain the demon within me if you were hurt? Seeing you in pain, watching you get hurt would destroy me,' whispered Angel.

I felt my heart swell to twice its size. I guessed that knowing he cared that much, that he would be destroyed if anything happened to me, was something that I would treasure forever. There was a difference between _thinking _someone cared for you, and _knowing _they did. At least, if something bad did happen to me, I would be able to die knowing that he loved me.

'You're my girl,' he whispered in my ear.

'Always,' I promised.

----

I awoke the next day in Angel's firm arms. I looked up and saw Angel smiling at me, his teeth glistening.

'What?' I asked, raising my hand to my head. 'Do I have funny bed hair or something?'

'Or something,' he smiled.

I groaned. I slid out of his arms, trying to drag my fingers through my knotted hair whilst walking over to the door. I knew that I could possess extremely funny bed hair if I had a restless night and, judging by the amused expression Angel greeted me with, I had definitely slept restlessly.

'Where are you going?' said Angel, sitting up.

'To go kill a cat on my head,' I muttered.

When I got no reply, I turned around to see what he was doing. Though, the bed was empty when I looked, showing no signs that anyone had been sat there a few minutes previously. Moments later, the door opened and Mom popped her head through. Her eyes scanned around my room, as though she was looking for something that wasn't there, before they fell on me. Her lips automatically curved up into a smile.

'Morning, honey,' she greeted.

'Hey. Erm, what's wrong?' I said, running my fingers through my hair again.

Mom's eyes looked around again. 'I, erm, it's silly, but, erm, I thought I could hear you talking to someone.'

I now understood Angel's quick departure – he had probably heard Mom's thoughts before she even started walking up the stairs. I noticed that I was staring off into space, Mom still looking at me as if though she was waiting until she got an answer.

'I was … erm … singing!' I said, clapping my hands together, 'nothing like a good ol' sing-song to start the day!'

Mom smiled hesitantly. I realised that I had been maybe a little _too _enthusiastic.

'Are you getting a ride up to school with Angel?' Mom asked.

I didn't need to think twice about my answer.

'Yes.'

Mom looked deeply into my eyes, kind of like how you see people do in movies, and then smiled. 'You'll have to introduce us!'

OH NO! Out of everything I had going on – school, Angel, the Hell Mouth, my accident, school again, Angel again, Parker – I had never even thought that Mom would actually want to do the whole parent/boyfriend meet and greet thing. I shivered mentally at the idea. My Mom would have no idea that she would be meeting, not only my boyfriend, but a one hundred year old vampire.

'What? No, no, no. NO!'

'What? Why?' Mom pouted.

'Because. You are not meeting Angel – and that is final!'

----

'Mom, this is Angel. Angel, this is my Mom,' I muttered, pointing to one another.

I couldn't believe that I had let her push me into this; I couldn't believe that Angel had agreed to do this. What? Was the Hell Mouth having an effect on everyone nowadays? I stood closely next to Angel, gripping onto his arm – even though I knew my strength was nothing to his in comparison, whether I had a slight higher rate of strength and speed than an average human, I wanted at least pretend I could drag him out if things got out of control.

Angel had arrived an hour after he disappeared, equipped in a new set of clothes, with a huge smirk across his face. He must have known what was coming, either through my Mom's probable thoughts or my annoyed expression, as he actually got out of his Jeep and greeted me at the door, unlike the other days he had come to pick me up.

'It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Summers,' smiled Angel.

I nearly cried out in shock when he held out his hand for her to shake. Thankfully, before I could embarrass myself, I realised that he was wearing a pair of black leather gloves, covering every part of his marble, white skin that he could. I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God that Angel had the brains that I didn't.

'It's nice to _finally_ meet you too!' Mom shot me a look. I rolled my eyes.

Mom shook his hand, flashing a smile at Angel as she let go. I stood there, tapping my foot impatiently, as I waited for this meeting to finally come to an end. It had been about three minutes, though it seemed like three life times. I guessed that the first time your parents met the boy you loved, or the boy you could have just simply had a crush on it, the time would drag on so you would be able to memorise every detail. I wondered if that happened so you could pick up tips later in life when you met your children's partners.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

I looked at Mom and Angel. Neither one of them seemed to have heard the knocking; even though I bet Angel knew exactly who was there by reading their thoughts, which left me to open it. I slowly let go off Angel's arm, yet I noticed how his whole body tensed as soon as I was out of his grasp. I lightly stroked his arm – a secret touch to reassure him – before stalking off towards the door.

I threw open the door, which was still left unlocked from when I had invited Angel in. My eyes widened.

'Parker?'

----

**Thank you so much everyone for the amazing reviews! You are all so inspirational and so so kind to me and my story! Thank you especially to SilverSpoon – who has been so much more than just a reader … her views and opinions mean a lot to me – and my thoughts are with her at this moment in time. And thank you to BA2006 who is so sweet to me. AND WOW – ten more reviews until 200! Please, pretty please, even if you don't normally review – just leave me one! Thanks so much! x**


	26. Gone

I must have looked rather moronic stood at the door, my eyes widened in shock, whilst Parker stood there, casually waiting with his hands in his pockets. I didn't understand why I was so shocked that he was here at my house, maybe it was because his eyes were back to their warm selves. I gulped, trying to banish my dream that kept cropping back up in the centre of my mind, and took a step outside, shutting the door quietly behind me. I hoped Angel would be able to survive my Mom without me for a seconds – which was a really stupid thought as I knew he was immortal, even my Mom couldn't bore someone like that to death.

'Hey Buffy, sorry for just dropping in like this,' said Parker, running his fingers through his hair.

I wished he hadn't just dropped in like this. Angel was in the house, probably already listening closely to his thoughts, and I didn't even want to imagine the tension if he were to step outside for a moment. I shrugged the image of Angel ripping Parker's head off out of my mind. I reminded myself that it was _me _who deserved to have their head ripped off.

'Uh, no – it's ok!' I smiled.

Parker returned my smile.

We stood awkwardly, both with our arms folded over our chests, gazing in opposite directions. The dream continued to replay in my head repeatedly, though I started to wonder if it had just been a dream. Maybe it had just been my self conscious thinking ahead of its self. Maybe it had never happened. Yet, Parker blew this theory out of the window…

'You and Angel, huh?' he asked.

I looked up and instantly winced. The dark look, which he had possessed in my dream, had returned again. Without thinking, I took a step backwards. Parker was my friend and I never once thought he would hurt me intentionally, although the look in his eyes would make even the bravest man take a few steps back.

'Yeah,' I said.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath through his mouth, with his eyes clamped shut. I noticed his other fist was clenched tight, his knuckles whitening.

'Parker,' I said, reaching my hand out towards him.

As soon as my hand rested on his arm, he slowly relaxed. He unclenched his fist and let his eyes flutter open. Once again, the softness of his eyes returned and he sent me an apologetic smile.

'I'm sorry,' he apologized, running his fingers through his hair.

I smiled softly, nodding my head to show that I had accepted his apology.

'What are you here for, Parker?' I asked.

Parker seemed to be debating his answer in his head. Whilst he tried to figure out his answer, I turned my head slightly and listened carefully. A few moments later, I heard Mom's laughter enveloping the silence. I smiled – it seemed Angel was winning over her heart already.

'I just wanted to see you.'

I turned my attention back to Parker and noticed he was smiling sadly. He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at his feet. I shuffled forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, digging my face into his chest. I felt him pull his hands out of his pockets and wrap them around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. Eventually I pulled away and smiled at him. Parker smiled back, though the sadness still swirled around his eyes.

'Goodbye,' he finally said.

He pulled me into another hug and planted a kiss on the top of my head. He pulled away and headed down the steps, pulling out his car keys as he went. I watched as Parker jumped into his car, started the engine, and pulled out onto the road, waving to me as he drove off with the same sad smile. It was only a few seconds later when I realised he wasn't going in the right direction to school.

'Like I said, Angel, it was nice meeting you.'

I heard the volume of Mom's voice increasing. I spun around as she opened the door. Angel stepped out of the house. His brown orbs glanced over me, probably assessing me for any signs that Parker had upset me, before turning back to Mom and charming her with his dazzling smile.

'It was nice meeting you too, Miss Summers,' he replied.

Mom smiled at him, the adoration clear in her eyes.

Angel wrapped his arm around my waist, said his goodbyes to Mom, and walked me over to his Jeep. Mom stood at the door and watched in amusement as I climbed into the passenger seat. I slammed the door shut, fastened my seatbelt, and waited whilst Angel fumbled around looking for his keys. Feeling the purr of the engine, I looked out of the window and waved to Mom. When we turned around the corner, I let my hand fall. I turned to Angel, who had his eyes firmly on the road, and quickly reminded myself to breathe.

'I think that went better than expected,' he said proudly.

I laughed softly. 'What did she think?'

'She kept admiring my eyes,' chuckled Angel, fluttering his eyelashes, 'and she thinks I am a good influence on you. In fact, she is quite keen on having me around for a long time. Though, I doubt her definition of 'long time' is a few centuries like it is to me.'

I grinned. I was glad that Mom liked Angel – it just made it so much easier now. Then again, who wouldn't like Angel? Sure he had manners, morals, and was very protective of me, constantly radiating his unconditional love for me … but who could resist that dazzling smile? Even if Mom had hated him when she first saw him, if he smiled at her then she would have melted like butter in the sun.

We pulled up in the parking lot. As always, Cordelia's red convertible was there, standing out amongst the other cars in the parking lot with its glossy brightness. Parked next to Cordelia's car was a black shiny Porsche. My jaw dropped, gazing at the car with amazement.

'Spike's and Faith's,' Angel said, noticing my astounded look. 'I bought it them as a present.'

'You bought it them as a present? A car? A present is aftershave or jewellery,' I gasped.

A car for a present? That just proved that he had more money than sense. In his garage, from what I had seen, was a huge Jeep, a glossy convertible and a shiny Porsche. The cars alone probably cost more than my house. And that wasn't even including Wesley's or Tara's car …

'What cars do Wesley and Tara have?' I questioned as we walked to class.

'Wesley has a Mercedes Benz. Tara has a Mini Cooper,' answered Angel.

Wow.

I was pulled out of thoughts when I felt Angel's cool fingers wrap around mine. It never ceased to amaze me that this beautiful man was mine. As long as I would live, I would never understand what I had done to deserve this amount of good fortune.

Turning around the corner, I noticed Willow and Oz, hands intertwined, walking in front of us. I tightened my grip on Angel's hand and dragged him towards them, trying to catch up with their pace. However, for a few seconds, I forgot Angel could be as rigid as a statue and that, no matter how hard I pulled, I would be unable to budge him. Angel chuckled and pressed a kiss in my hair, following my speedy pace.

'Willow! Oz!' I shouted.

The couple spun around. Willow grinned happily as she saw our linked hands – she looked like she was ready to burst out squealing. Oz nodded his head at me and Angel, a small smile graced upon his face. As we approached them, I heard Angel laugh quietly. I turned to give him a puzzled look, confused as to what he was laughing at, though he merely gave me a look that said

'I'll tell you later'.

'Look at you two! With the holding hands thing and happy smiles,' Willow exclaimed.

She pulled her hand out of Oz's and hugged me tightly.

'I've never seen either of you so happy,' Willow whispered in my ear.

I knew Angel probably heard. I looked up to see him dazzling me with his usual beautiful smile.

* * *

For the rest of the day, there was only one thought on my mind: where was Parker?

I was supposed to have at least two lessons with him today, though he was absent for both of them. I wondered if he was ditching – I wouldn't blame him as History and Spanish were very boring subjects. However, when lunch came, I sat at our usual table, dragging Angel over as well, and was surprised to see everyone there except Parker. When I asked Xander where he was, I noticed Angel stiffen slightly besides me. Knowing that we had Physics together next, I decided to question him then …

Walking to Physics, allowing Xander and Anya's light babble to fill the silence, I watched Angel out of the corner of my eye. He seemed completely at ease: his fingers were intertwined with mine – as they always were nowadays – and he even seemed to find Xander slightly amusing … though I couldn't work out if he was amused with Xander's words or thoughts. Finally, after Xander and Anya headed off to Geography, we headed into Physics. I was glad that Angel was unable to read my thoughts – he would be unaware of the interrogation he was about to suffer.

'So …' I started off casually.

'Just ask me,' Angel smiled.

I stared at him. How did he know I wanted to ask him something. 'I thought you couldn't read my mind!'

'I can't,' he frowned, pulling out his Physics book, 'but I know you. You want to ask me something, so … go ahead.'

I decided to just come right out and ask.

'Where's Parker?' I said.

Once again, Angel stiffened. However when he saw me staring at him, he slowly relaxed. His face remained composed.

'He's gone,' Angel finally answered.

My eyes widened. I was shocked … hurt. Why did he leave? Why didn't he tell me he was leaving? And then I realized. The pieces of the jigsaw fit together like they always did. Without using words, he had told me. He came today to my house to see me one last time. Without letting me know, he was saying goodbye. I guess that explained why he turned up unexpectedly. Parker knew that I would have argued with him if he told me he was leaving – I would have forced him to change his mind.

'It was all he was thinking about this morning,' said Angel, breaking me out of my thoughts. 'He doesn't know whether he'll come back or not …'

'Why?' I asked, looking up at Angel with devastated eyes.

Angel frowned. He reached out and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, letting his hand linger on my cheek.

'Now, now, Mr O'Conner – less of the public display of affection,' chuckled Mr Howell, dropping a few sheets on our table.

Angel let his hand fall and grabbed the sheets, placing one in front of me. He pulled his pen out and began writing, finishing the sheet before I could even find a pen. Luckily, Angel passed me his and I was able to get to work. As I worked, Angel decided to fill me in.

'His thoughts gave me no exact reason. He just decided he needed to leave. I guess he just needs time,' mumbled Angel.

I nodded sadly.

* * *

When I stepped out of the classroom, I felt a surge of calmness pulse through me. I looked around to see Spike leaning against the opposite wall, smiling happily at me. I returned the smile and headed over to him, Angel following behind.

'Nice car,' I said.

'It was a very generous present from Peaches here,' replied Spike, nodding at Angel.

I looked around and realised Faith was nowhere to be seen. Faith was usually with Spike, so it was unusual for her to be absent. Angel must have noticed me looking around.

'She ditched last period to go hunting with Tara,' Angel informed me in a whisper.

I nodded and slumped off in the direction of the parking lot. I could hear Angel and Spike talking to each other in murmured whispers, although I was too upset to even try and be angry at them. Spike's calmness was wearing off.

The weather increased my awful mood. It was raining heavily and I hadn't brought an umbrella. I stepped out into the rain, without even bothering to put up my hood, and headed over to Angel's car. I waited as Angel quickly finished his conversation with Spike and ran over, a little too quickly for a human, to open the passenger door for me. I got in and slammed the door shut. Shivers erupted through my body, my teeth chattered loudly and rain drops dripped from my hair onto my face. Angel got in the drivers seat and took one look at me. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders, before leaning into the back of the car and pulling out a soft looking, warm blanket. Wrapping that around me as well, he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

'I love you,' he whispered.

I felt my heart stutter. He _loved _me …

'I love you too,' I said, staring into his brown orbs.

And I truly did.

* * *

**Authors Note: I AM SO SO SO SORRY! Ok, awful writers block! Urgh, I hate it. And it has been two months since I last updated – I am totally sorry! But, thank you SOOOOOOOOO much for getting me to 200 reviews and thank you to everyone who adds it to story alerts &/or favourites. You are all stars. Since I made you wait so long, I thought I'd slip in the fluff at the end. Hope I haven't disappointed with this chapter! Lots of love x**


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